Relativity
by Sera Ash
Summary: The sequel to Event Horizon and Escape Velocity, the final story of the Speed of Light trilogy follows Rian and her crew as a new danger threatens to pull them apart.
1. Chapter 1

This has taken me _two years_ to finish, sorry! But it _is_ done now, just undergoing final edits. I should be able to post once or twice a week so I won't leave anyone hanging. :)

Thanks to everyone who has read, liked, and commented on my stories for encouraging me to finish this, and a huge thank you to Clicketykeys for being the best sounding board for bouncing ideas off of. This story is way better because of her help.

Unbetaed, so all errors are my own.

* * *

Rian leaned back in her chair, lacing her hands casually behind her head, and smirked at her opponents. The grizzled Human spacer across from her scowled back, but the two Rodians beside him were too busy casting worried glances at their cards to notice. She had already amassed a nice pile of credits, and it looked like this hand might increase that. To her left, the dealer droid whirred to life, turning to the Rodians and asking for their wagers.

Suddenly, the noise level in the small, dimly-lit space increased sharply as the door to the back room swung open. Rian jerked her head up, hands dropping instinctively to the blasters on her hips. She was unsurprised to see the same reaction from everyone else at the table.

Corso was framed in the doorway, wearing casual clothes with his dreadlocks loose around his face, though he still had a blaster pistol on his belt. Nar Shaddaa could be a dangerous place. "Captain?" he said, not looking the least bit apologetic. "We've got something you'll need to hear."

She cast a longing look over the table, but Corso looked impatient so she sighed and stood. "I fold," she told her opponents. "Keep your credits until the next time I see you." She scooped up her neat stacks of credit chips and winked at the irritated-looking Human before strolling across the room to meet Corso.

"Sorry to interrupt your game," he told her, holding the door for her while she tucked her credits away.

"This had better be good, Farm Boy," she said. "I had a winning hand."

The _Event Horizon_ was docked at one of the smaller spaceports on Nar Shaddaa, one that Rian had frequented for years. Her old captain had introduced her to it, and it was still run by the same family. They had never tried to fleece her and always took good care of her ship, so she didn't mind that it was a little out of the way of the city-planet's main attractions. There were taxi stands everywhere, so it wasn't exactly hard to get to where you wanted to go.

She keyed the lock open and slipped through while the airlock was still cycling. Corso had been stubbornly quiet about just what it was she needed to hear, and she had finally given up asking. But now that they were back on the ship, she turned to her first mate impatiently. "Okay, spit it out. What's going on?"

Corso jerked his chin towards something behind her. "Ask him."

She turned just in time to catch Lomning's grin before he swept her up into a hug. It had been close to two months since she had seen the Jedi and she wrapped her arms tightly around him in return. Shortly after leaving Taris with a hold full of artefacts and data chips to be delivered to Republic historians and researchers on Coruscant, Lomning had gotten a call from his master. He had been ordered to Coruscant to report to the Jedi Council.

"I do not know how long this will take," he had told Rian as they dropped out of hyperspace and coasted towards the planet. Rian had hoped it would have been longer before she had to see the ugly place again, but a job was a job, and while the credits Torve had given her after the debacle on Taris were enough for now, it was expensive to keep a ship flying. She couldn't afford to sit idle for too long.

"A couple of days?" she had asked, hands light on the controls as she plotted their course. "Or longer?"

"Longer," the big Twi'lek had told her. They had been alone on the bridge. Rian had promised at least one day of shore leave and everyone else had gone to pack their bags. She had already called ahead to book rooms at one of the more reputable hotels in the Undercity. It would be nice for the crew to have some space to themselves after sharing quarters on the ship. "Long enough that I believe you should move on without me, and I will catch up when I can."

Corso and Viggota had protested, and even Jorgan had looked disappointed, but Rian had just shaken her head. "We knew this could happen, guys. Lomning has obligations to the Jedi Order. We'll see him again when he's able to come back."

"You _are_ going to come back, right?" Xirra had asked, looking upset.

"That is my plan," Lomning had reassured her. "If I am not able to return right away, I will let you know."

Even with weekly messages, Rian and the rest of the crew had missed Lomning. She hadn't realized how much of a calming influence he had had on all of them. His last message, a little shy of a week ago, had been short and cryptic, with a reference to a meeting and saying he would see them soon. It seemed that Jedi weren't above being sneaky sometimes, because Rian had expected a little more notice that he was returning.

"I wanted to surprise you all," Lomning said with a smile when he released her.

"Well, you did!" Rian said, laughing. "It's good to see you again, Jedi. We missed you."

"Everyone else is in the common room," Corso said. "Lomning said he had something to tell us all," he clarified at Rian's raised eyebrow. "We've just been waiting on you. You weren't answering your holo."

"It's rude to take a call in the middle of a game," Rian said primly, though she gave Corso a wink. Truth be told, the back room of that cantina had terrible holonet reception on purpose. It was one of the draws for people who just wanted a quiet evening. Not that she was trying to get away from her crew, but sometimes it was nice to have a night where no one else was making demands on her time.

"I have a proposal for a job," Lomning said, though there was a careful note to his voice that led Rian to suspect that he thought they might not like what he was going to say. The big Twi'lek just shook his head at Rian's questioning look and gestured down the hall towards the common room.

She let Corso herd her impatiently deeper into the ship, though she admitted that she was just as curious as her young first mate - she was just better at hiding it. While it was true that the last job Lomning had gotten for them had led indirectly to the debacle on Taris, it had also ended up being quite profitable. Not that Rian wanted to risk being turned into a rakghoul again, but she would listen to his proposal.

In the common room, Viggota and Jorgan had taken over the two couches near the holoviewer. Xirra was leaning against the wall beside the kitchen, checking over one of Seetoo's arms. The droid was flexing his elbow back and forth while the girl bent close to peer at the joint. She made a minute adjustment with a tool so tiny that it was nearly hidden even in her slender fingers. Regular meals had finally put some weight back onto Xirra's scrawny frame and she was starting to develop some curves that Rian was sure that Corso had already noticed. The two of them were practically living together in the cargo hold that had been converted into Xirra's quarters during their off-hours, though Rian was fairly sure that Corso was back into his own bed every night. Not that it was any of her business, but he seemed the sort to want a proper courtship and maybe even marriage before starting a physical relationship.

Corso went to stand with Xirra while Rian settled into the chair at the head of the dining table. It had quickly become her regular spot with this crew. Before they had come on board, she had been in the habit of eating on the bridge, in her quarters, or standing over the sink in the kitchen. It was a surprisingly nice change to have regular group meals, and not just because Lomning was an excellent cook. They had definitely missed that while he had been gone.

Lomning pulled out his usual chair, which had sat empty for the past two months. He turned it so that he could see everyone, and folded his hands across his stomach. "First, allow me to apologize for being gone so long. I had not anticipated it, but some things came up and my master asked me to stay. But that is also the reason why I am back, and it is what I need to discuss with you." The big Twi'lek took a deep breath and shook his head slowly. "I fully expect that you will not all like what I am going to propose, but I ask that you listen to everything that I have to say before making your decision."

Rian arched an eyebrow curiously and looked around at her crew. Everyone else looked just as intrigued, though Jorgan's perpetual scowl had already made an appearance. "You said you had a job for us," she told Lomning. "I promised that everyone would have a vote on any jobs we took. So, spill, and we'll discuss it."

The Jedi paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. "While I was on Coruscant, another Jedi received a message from an old friend who was seeking his help. She had learned of a compound that is being developed by the Hutts that has a devastating effect on Force-users. It can permanently blind them to the Force, leaving them mentally crippled." He shuddered delicately, and even Rian shook her head. She didn't approve of the drug trade in general, but having spoken to Lomning a few times about his connection to the world around him through the Force, this drug just sounded cruel.

"Currently, the drug must be administered directly through injection," Lomning went on. "However, the Hutts are trying to change that. Their research is apparently getting very close to a working airborne delivery system."

Corso hissed in a sharp breath. "We can't let that happen!" he exclaimed. "Why is this even up for debate?"

"Because I have not yet finished the whole story," Lomning said mildly. "The drug also has negative effects on those who have no Force sensitivity at all. It is incredibly damaging. So naturally, the Empire wants it as a weapon."

"Of course," Jorgan snorted. He had shifted to lean forward intently on the couch. "So what's the catch? If that's all there is to the story, the Republic would have already sent people in to wherever it's being manufactured and dealt with it."

Lomning paused, and then spread his hands wide. "The woman who provided the information wants to destroy the drug, but lacks the resources. She does not want the Empire to have this weapon so she cannot work with her usual contacts." The Jedi hesitated a fraction of a second, just long enough for Rian to notice, before continuing. "She is a Sith Lord."

There was an explosion of sound as everyone tried to talk at once. Jorgan's face was twisted with distaste, and Corso looked like he had swallowed something foul. Xirra looked unsure and scared and even Seetoo was twisting his torso back and forth in distress. Viggota looked thoughtful, rubbing a thumb absently along the line of his jaw, and Lomning sat patiently waiting for the outburst to end. Rian raised her hands for quiet but when that didn't work she stuck two fingertips into her mouth and whistled as loudly as she could. There was a breathless moment of silence as everyone whipped around to stare at her.

"We need to know more," she said calmly, turning back to Lomning. "Who exactly is this Sith, and how is it that she's friends with a Jedi?"

"You can't really be thinking about working with a Sith, can you?" Jorgan asked before Lomning could reply. The Cathar looked betrayed. "They're evil! They revel in chaos and destruction!"

"I want all the information before making a decision," she told him. "I've never met a Sith before, but they can't all be like that." She glanced at Lomning curiously. "Can they?"

"That is what the Republic and the Jedi Council would have us all believe," he said calmly. "It is easy to stir up hate for an enemy that everyone believes is universally evil. But there are all kinds of people in this galaxy. If a Jedi of good standing befriended this woman and believes she is worth listening to, I am willing to give her a chance." Jorgan scowled blackly, unconvinced, but waved for Lomning to continue.

Lomning folded his hands across his stomach. "The story that he shared with us is that he met her some years ago, by chance. She had been working with her master to expand the Empire's influence here on Nar Shaddaa. Her master was being thwarted by the efforts of the Jedi, and he set a trap - a bomb on a crowded promenade. When the Sith woman realized that her master's trap would kill or injure many innocent civilians in an attempt to stop a single Jedi, she tried to stop it. The explosion left her badly wounded, but she had been able to save many of the innocents that would have otherwise been harmed by her master's plot. The Jedi found her in the wreckage, and learned from the survivors what she had done. He helped to nurse her back to health, and they slowly became friends."

"I'm surprised the Council is okay with that," Viggota said. He was still in a relaxed sprawl on the couch, a sharp contrast to everyone else's tense postures.

"The Council does not dictate every aspect of our lives," Lomning said, waving a hand to indicate his surroundings, and Viggota nodded in acknowledgement. "But yes, it is unusual and he has been under close scrutiny since he told the Council of their friendship. Neither he, nor she, has given anyone any reason for concern. The Council has even spoken of trying to recruit her, but she is not interested. She loves the Empire, though she recognizes that it is flawed. But she believes that she can make a difference from within, so she stays."

"And the Republic believes her?" Jorgan asked, voice as tense as his body. "They do know she's a Sith, right? She's probably just playing them."

"I've worked with people that live inside the borders of the Empire," Rian interjected. "They're not all soulless monsters. Most of them are just regular people. They just happen to live on an Imperial planet, instead of a Republic one. Now, a Sith would be somewhat different, I assume. They'd have been raised with a certain code. But if what Lomning says is true, it sounds like not all of them are bad either."

" _If_ it's true," Jorgan pointed out ruthlessly. "The Imperials that I've met are pretty consistently bad."

"We've mostly only met soldiers across the battlefield, though," Viggota said. "They're just doing their jobs. It's the people giving the orders that I'd question."

"She _is_ one of the ones giving the orders!" the Cathar snapped. "The Sith are the cancer at the heart of the Empire. They're the ones trying to destroy the Republic."

"I'm with Jorgan," Corso said, face hard. "I don't want to work with a Sith."

"Why us?" Rian asked, turning to Lomning. "They had to know that we'd object, so why did they come to us anyways? Why not send a bunch of soldiers, or Jedi, people they can give orders to?"

Lomning nodded approvingly. "That was exactly what was proposed, but the Sith naturally did not like that plan very much. She did not come right out and say it, but I imagine that she did not like the idea of working with a contingent of soldiers and Jedi who may very well have orders to capture her at the conclusion of their mission."

"I can understand that," Rian said with a shrug. "I wouldn't be keen on working with a whole squad of Imps either."

"But you're okay with working with a Sith?" Corso asked, looking betrayed.

"I haven't decided yet," Rian told him. "I want all the information before making a decision. It's the only way to make an informed one, after all. It's something you guys should all think about too."

Corso had the grace to look abashed, but Jorgan's scowl deepened. "Fine, tell us the rest of it," the Cathar said to Lomning. "Then we can move on."

"My master is the one who suggested us," Lomning said. "We have close enough ties to the Republic that no one would question our loyalty, but we are independent enough that the Sith should have no objections to working with us in this case. I told my master that I would propose it, but that I could not promise that you would all accept."

"Blasted right," Jorgan muttered.

"I have some questions," Viggota said, sitting up from his sprawl. "For example, if the Republic knows about this drug, why haven't they sent a team in already?"

Lomning chuckled. "Because the Sith did not give them the location of the lab that is manufacturing it. She seemed to think that the Empire are not the only ones that would like to get their hands on it, and she was very firm in her insistence that it be destroyed. She said she would only provide the location once we have met up with her."

"There's no way the Republic would use something like that," Corso said, shaking his head.

"Don't be so quick to say that, Farm Boy," Rian told him. "You don't think they would love to get their hands on something that can neutralize any Sith they come across?" Corso opened his mouth to deny it, then paused and slowly closed it again. Jorgan rumbled irritably, but he didn't argue either.

"So what's the plan, then? Assuming that we even agree to this?" Viggota asked.

"The Sith will be on Nar Shaddaa in three days," Lomning said. "If we agree, a meeting will be set up between us. Somewhere public, of course," he added before anyone could interrupt. "We can decide then how to proceed."

"Well that's not so bad," Rian said, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. "I agree that we need to shut down production of this drug, but I like the idea of a face to face meeting before making a final decision."

"Why are you even considering this?" Jorgan snarled. "She's a _Sith_. I can't believe you would even think of working with her."

"And I can't believe you won't even consider it," Rian said, keeping her voice level. She and Jorgan had argued over jobs before, and she was trying to learn to keep a rein on her temper. As Captain, she figured should at least make an attempt to be the voice of reason, especially when Lomning wasn't around. "Assuming her story is true - and I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt at the moment - this drug could be a huge threat. If the Hutts are able to figure out an airborne delivery system, anyone who can get their hands on it could decimate whole cities, or even entire planets if they can get it into the atmosphere. You were pretty keen on helping until you found out we'd have to work with a Sith, and now you won't even consider it."

"You're assuming she's even telling the truth," Jorgan said, standing to pace the confines of the common room. "This could just be a trap."

"Seems pretty elaborate," Viggota pointed out. "And besides, what does she benefit from capturing us?"

Corso tugged absently at one of his dreadlocks as he considered that. Viggota made a good point. If the Sith was willing to work with Rian and her crew, none of whom would have any strategic importance as hostages, it lent credence to the idea that she might be telling the truth. Even Jorgan had stopped pacing and looked thoughtful.

"Lomning, when does the Council need our answer?" Rian asked.

"The sooner the better, obviously," the big Jedi said. "They will need to contact the Sith to arrange the meeting."

Rian nodded and stood. "Okay, guys, take an hour. Think about it, discuss it, ask questions. We'll meet back here to vote on it."

"I will answer any questions that I can," Lomning said.

"So will I," Rian added. "I know you don't all agree with working with a Sith, and I've never done it before, but I'm willing to give her a chance if it means we can help get rid of this drug." She glanced around. Xirra still looked scared but she was nodding slowly. Corso heaved a sigh and tucked his arm around Xirra, who leaned closer to him. Jorgan was still scowling angrily but Viggota nodded when she met his eyes. "I'll be on the bridge, if anyone wants to talk to me."

Rian was unsurprised when she heard footsteps following immediately behind her as she left the common room. She turned her head to see Corso and Xirra, and waved for them to follow her onto the bridge. She settled into her chair with a quick glance over the readouts, and turned to face the others.

"Captain," Corso began hesitantly. "I don't know what to say. I mean, I understand where you're coming from. I want this drug gone too. But... I don't much like the idea of working with a Sith."

"Me neither," Xirra said, voice quiet. "What if she turns on us?"

Rian waited for both of them to sit down before speaking. "Well, assuming she's by herself we'd outnumber her quite a bit, and I trust Lomning's abilities to keep us safe from any mind tricks or whatever she might try. I think we'll be safe enough. But it's a good point, and I'd want to make sure we have some plans in place just in case. I wouldn't want anyone alone with her, for example. But we can discuss that as a team, if we decide to take this job."

"And what if she's lying, and it's a trap?" Corso asked.

"We'll have plans for that too," Rian said. "I won't walk into this blind. I'll want all the information the Council has on her, and we can figure out the best way to protect ourselves. But I agree with Viggota - none of us are particularly interesting hostages. I doubt that we'd be in much danger."

"I guess that makes sense," Corso said slowly. "But... all you hear about Sith is that they're evil, and crazy. I still don't like it." Xirra nodded her agreement, and Rian noticed that she shivered slightly, as if she was scared.

"I take it you guys grew up with stories about Sith bogeymen?" Rian asked with a smile. She could vaguely remember her parents telling her similar stories, presumably to scare her into behaving. There hadn't been much occasion for that sort of thing after she had been taken by the slavers - there had been enough nightmare fuel in her new life that no one had had to resort to stories of bloodthirsty Sith to frighten the younger girls. Corso and Xirra both nodded, and Rian pulled her attention back to the present. "I'm sure there's truth to some of it, or the stories wouldn't exist. But I believe in letting a person's actions speak for them. I'm not about to paint this woman with the same brush as the Sith in those stories. From what Lomning said the Council knows about her, I'm inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt."

"So you're thinking of accepting the job?" Xirra asked, lacing her hands tightly together in her lap.

"I'm thinking of voting that way," Rian clarified. "I meant it when I said that everyone gets a vote."

"I don't think you'll be able to convince Jorgan," Corso said. "What will you do if everyone agrees except him?"

"I'm not sure," Rian admitted. "It's never happened before. This is the biggest crew I've ever had, and the most diverse. I've never had to work with soldiers or Jedi. I don't want to force someone into a job they're not comfortable with, but I also don't want to turn down jobs just because one person objects to it."

"What about saying that person doesn't need to participate?" Xirra offered tentatively. "Like... Jorgan doesn't have to come meet the Sith if he really doesn't want to. Would that work?"

"It could," Rian said with an approving nod. She liked that Xirra was getting more comfortable with speaking up. "I'm not sure he'd be a big fan of staying on the ship, though. He's more the type to want to be in the middle of the action."

"That's true," Jorgan's voice cut in. Rian looked up to see him standing in the hall, just barely visible from the bridge. Xirra jerked her head around, blushing furiously at having been overheard. The two of them got along much better now than they had when Xirra had first come on board, but Rian could tell that she still wasn't completely comfortable around the stern Cathar. "There's no way I'd want to stay on the ship and worry."

"Come on in," Rian said, waving Jorgan onto the bridge. He looked uncomfortable, his shoulders tight and his arms drawn close to his sides. "I take it you have questions for me as well?"

"If you're done here," he said, still hovering in the hall, though he did take a step closer to the doorway. "I can come back later."

Rian glanced at Corso and Xirra. Corso just shrugged. "I think I've got all the answers I needed. I just need to think about it some more."

"Me too," Xirra said, throwing a quick glance over at Jorgan and standing hastily. "Thanks, Captain."

"You're welcome," Rian said, leaning back in her chair to watch the two of them leave. Jorgan stepped back out of the way to let them pass, but hesitated before entering the bridge.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," he said, finally sitting down gingerly in Lomning's usual chair. "I probably should have turned around when I realized you were still talking to them."

"It's all right," Rian said. "I think we were pretty much done. How much did you overhear?"

"Just the last bit, about me staying on the ship," he said. His posture was stiff where he was perched on the edge of the chair.

"It was a hypothetical question," Rian explained. "Xirra wanted to know what would happen if everyone voted to accept a job except for one person. I told her I wasn't sure how I'd handle it, since it's never happened before, but that was one option. I wouldn't make anyone do a job they objected to, but I think it would have to be on a case-by-case basis. Obviously having someone just stay on the ship wouldn't always work, if the job wasn't planet-based like this one."

Jorgan had relaxed slowly as Rian spoke and he realized she wasn't about to confine him to the ship for the duration of the mission. "I guess that makes sense. But you've really never had this happen before?"

"I usually work solo," she told him. "I had a crew once, a couple of years ago, but it was only two people. And there weren't any soldiers or Jedi on board. You'd probably have called them scoundrels - if you were feeling polite," she added with a laugh and was gratified to see a flash of a smile on Jorgan's face. She hated that this had made him so uncomfortable, but her gut was telling her that they should take this job. She trusted Lomning's judgement and if he thought that they would be safe working with this Sith, she would do it. She didn't want that drug in anyone's hands.

"I won't apologize for being the only dissenting voice," Jorgan rumbled, leaning back in Lomning's chair.

"I'm not asking you to," she told him. "I'm not expecting all of you to agree to everything I suggest. That would be boring."

He chuckled. "And we wouldn't want to be boring," he said. He leaned forward, bracing his arms on his knees. "I talked to Lomning some more. I still don't think this is a good idea, but if we do this, we'll need contingency plans."

"I'm not going to force you to do this, Jorgan," she said. "Don't just agree because you feel like you have to."

"I'm not," he replied. "I'm just trying to make sure everyone stays safe if we do this."

"I appreciate that," said seriously. "I told Corso and Xirra that we'll have plans in place before we decide to accept the job."

"I'm glad to see that you don't always just make things up on the fly," he said with a snort.

"Hey!" she yelped, though she gave him a grin. "I don't always do that! I have plans sometimes!"

He laughed, sharp teeth flashing. "I'll believe that when I see it."

She pretended to grumble, ducking her head to hide a smile. She was glad to see Jorgan relax, though she still didn't know if he was going to vote in favour of the job or not. "Did you have questions for me?"

"I mostly just wanted to talk about it," he replied. "I'm really not in favour of this."

"I can tell," she told him. "What exactly are your objections?"

Jorgan leaned back, looking thoughtful. "Well, firstly, I don't trust that this isn't a trap."

"That's a possibility. Like I told Corso and Xirra, I would want to make sure we had some contingency plans in place. We'll have to see if the Council has any more information on her - like, does she usually work alone? If she does, we've got her outnumbered. If not, we'll have to plan for that." Rian paused to see if Jorgan had anything else to add before continuing. "And I do want to meet her face-to-face before making my final decision. If it just doesn't feel right, I won't risk endangering you guys."

"Even if it means letting the Hutts go ahead with their research?" Jorgan asked skeptically.

"Even then," she replied firmly. "I want to stop them, but sometimes the risk isn't worth the reward." She cocked her head to the side to study Jorgan closely. "What about you? You seemed pretty keen on helping, until you found out we'd be working with a Sith. Does that really trump the chance of destroying that drug?"

He sighed heavily, looking away. "I don't know," he finally admitted.

"Why exactly don't you want to work with her?" she asked quietly.

"Because I can't trust her," he growled, and his hands tightened in his lap.

Rian leaned back in her chair, watching Jorgan out of the corner of her eye. He didn't seem to want to meet her eyes. "Because she's a Sith, or because she's Imperial?" she asked.

"Both," he admitted. "I've never known an Imp to not have an agenda."

"Do you think you'd be willing to give her a chance?" she asked. "Would you be okay with meeting with her to see how that goes?"

"I don't know," he said with another heavy sigh. "I don't like the idea of any of us being around her."

"She might surprise you," Rian said. "You gave me a chance, even though you didn't want to. I hope you don't regret that."

He looked up quickly to meet her eyes. "I don't," he said, leaning forward urgently. "You know that, don't you?"

"I know," she said. She leaned forward too and rested her hand lightly on his shoulder, warm and solid under her palm. She could feel the strain in him just with this slight contact. If he had been Viggota or Corso, she wouldn't have hesitated to dig her fingers in to the tight muscle, but she wasn't sure he would welcome anything more than a casual touch. She was still a little tentative around him, trying to find his comfort zone. "I'm just giving you an example. I assume that you wouldn't usually have given someone like me a chance if you hadn't been forced to work with me. You can't always judge someone on your first impression."

He snorted, but smiled reluctantly and she could feel some of the tension draining out of him as his shoulder relaxed under her hand. "You're trying to manipulate me."

"Is it working?" she teased, daring to give his shoulder a quick squeeze before sitting back upright. He didn't seem to mind, and she filed it away. She liked physical contact, which might be odd for an ex-slave, but she suspected it was her way of keeping control. If she was the one initiating it, she didn't have to fear it. But she didn't want to make any of her crew uncomfortable either. "Just think about it, is all I'm asking. She came to the Republic for help. She may not be the monster you're imagining."

"All right," he agreed, giving her a reluctant nod. "And you can probably come back to the common room. I think we were the only three who wanted to talk to you about this."

"Sure," she said, standing and moving towards the door. "We're okay?"

"Yeah," he said, following her out into the hall. "Thanks for taking the time to talk to me about it. I've just got some thinking to do now."

"Thanks for listening," she said, turning to face him. "I mean it. I know this is a new situation for you and Vig, and I really appreciate that you guys have been so open to all of this."

Jorgan shrugged nonchalantly, though he looked pleased. "I'm just glad you're willing to put up with us."

She chuckled and shook her head. "It's been worth it, believe me. It's nice, having a crew on board." She was finally starting to admit to herself just how much she liked it. After Joro and Lia had left she had managed to convince herself that she was better off on her own, but Taris had shown her how much she had grown to rely on her crew. Having Lomning back filled an empty space that she hadn't even realized he had left behind. She selfishly hoped that he, and the others, would stay with her, but she didn't want to push.

He studied her closely for a moment and she resisted the urge to duck her head under his scrutiny. He had a sniper's focus and it was disconcerting to have that intense gaze directed at her, especially when she couldn't read his expression. "It's been a good crew to be a part of," he admitted quietly. "I'm glad I gave you another chance."

Rian smiled up at him, feeling pleased. "I'm glad I gave you one too. You ended up being pretty tolerable once I got past the scowl." She grinned at his affronted look, which slowly melted into a tentative smile. She still erred on the side of caution when it came to teasing Jorgan, but he generally seemed pleased when she did. Given some of the stories he had told about his time with the Deadeyes, she wondered if she shouldn't be pushing him harder. He must have a sense of humour under that stern exterior. "Go," she told him. "Think about the job. I'll be in the common room when you're ready to vote."

"Thanks," he said. He hesitated and then patted her awkwardly on the shoulder before turning and making his way along the curved corridor. She could barely hear his light tread on the stairs heading down to the lower ring.

Lomning was gone but Corso and Xirra were back in the common room, sitting together on the small couch that Jorgan had been using earlier. Viggota was still sprawled on the other one with a datapad, though he moved to let Rian sit with him when she tapped his ankle. "Everything all right?" he asked.

"I think so," she said. "He said he'd think about it." She shrugged when Viggota gave her a searching look. She honestly didn't know how Jorgan would vote. She was fairly certain that Corso and Xirra would be willing to at least meet with the Sith, but the Cathar was still an unknown quantity.


	2. Chapter 2

Rian had been as surprised as the others when Jorgan had ended up voting in favour of the meeting. Despite their conversation, she had fully expected him to still balk at it. He hadn't offered any explanation either, but something about the downward slant of his mouth told her he wasn't entirely convinced. She hoped he wasn't just voting with the others for the sake of avoiding conflict, but she wasn't sure how to bring it up. She wouldn't have hesitated to call Joro out on it, but she didn't know how Jorgan would react to such a direct approach.

"All right," she said, slightly shocked to have a unanimous decision. "Lomning, let the Council know to set up the meeting. We'll meet with her, but that's not a promise that we'll work with her," she cautioned. "We need to know more before we make that decision."

Lomning nodded approvingly. He was back in his chair at the table with a datapad in front of him. "I have some more detailed information to share as well. The Council provided me with their full file on this woman, but there is not much here."

"Any information is good in my books," Rian said, sitting back down beside Viggota and propping her heels up on the low table in front of the couch.

"Her name is Lord Kevrisa, and she is a Zabrak. She was taken for training on Korriban when she first displayed Force powers sometime in her childhood. The Jedi that befriended her believes she was older than most of the other candidates, but probably not yet in her teens. She is apparently reluctant to talk with him about her past, so he was not able to share much information." Lomning looked down at the datapad, though Rian suspected he had memorized the information already. "She is first and foremost a warrior. She fights with two lightsabers, in a very aggressive combat style, but she is not without caution. She is intelligent, and has clearly studied battlefield tactics."

"Any known associates?" Viggota asked, leaning forward.

"None that the Council is aware of. Her views differ considerably from most of the rest of the Sith, and the Empire, so she tends to work alone."

"And no one's taken her out of the picture yet?" Rian asked. "Sounds like she has some generally unpopular views. I didn't think that sort of thing tended to last long in the Empire."

"I am sure people have tried," Lomning replied. "For example, she was wounded in the explosion her former master had set on Nar Shaddaa. It is entirely possible her master was trying to be rid of her and her desire to save innocents."

Rian was sure Lomning had chosen that phrasing deliberately, to remind the others - probably specifically Jorgan - that this woman had placed civilian lives above her own at least once before. They hadn't even technically been Imperial citizens, as Nar Shaddaa existed in a grey area, ruled by neither the Imperial nor Republic governments. From the sour look on his face, Jorgan had noticed that too, but he let it pass without comment.

"What else do we know about her?" Corso asked. Xirra was tucked into the crook of his arm again, her feet curled up under her.

"Very little," Lomning said apologetically. "She is something of a ghost. The Council was not able to get an accurate picture of her movements so either she does not travel to established ports very often, or she is a good enough slicer to give false information when she docks. There are some stories that her Jedi friend was able to share but they are unsubstantiated. However, they do paint a picture of a generally good-intentioned person who is willing to help those in need. She is not what he would describe as 'soft-hearted', but he said that he had known her to provide food and clothing to refugees through an intermediary so they would not know where the gift had come from."

"And he didn't think she was doing it for his benefit?" Jorgan asked sceptically. He was standing in the doorway, his shoulder braced against the wall and his arms crossed over his chest.

"He doesn't believe she knew he was aware of it," Lomning replied. "She had given credits to a shopkeeper to pay to have the items distributed. The Jedi saw the shopkeeper later and commended him on his generosity, but the man stated that it had been the gift of a Sith woman."

"She still could have done it on purpose, hoping he'd find out," Jorgan said, mouth twisting unhappily.

"It's possible," Rian allowed. Jorgan still seemed to have a lot of objections to this. She really wasn't sure why he had voted in favour. "Seems like a really roundabout way to do it, though."

"Sith can have plans inside their plans," Jorgan said with a snort. She wondered what sort of experience he had with Sith. Sometimes, his dislike seemed intensely personal.

"I have only limited direct familiarity with Sith," Lomning said, "But you may be correct. We will need to be vigilant, when we meet her."

"Okay, plans," Rian said, clapping her hands together to forestall any more comments. "We need to come up with some contingencies. Let's go with a couple of scenarios. First, that she _is_ actually working alone and everything is as she says it is, and second, that she isn't and we might be outnumbered. I'd like to meet somewhere public and neutral, like a cantina or something. What do we need to consider?"

Jorgan looked startled, but it was Corso who answered first. "Like you said, Captain, no one's ever alone with her. Just in case."

Viggota nodded thoughtfully. "I agree. In fact, I'd really rather we stayed together as much as possible. Especially if she might have some allies that she hasn't revealed. I don't want one person to go off on their own and get jumped."

"Weapons to hand at all times," Jorgan added. "I don't want anyone unarmed around her." Viggota and Rian nodded in agreement, though Xirra looked unsure.

"Even me?" she asked, voice small. She was practicing with Rian and the rest of the crew, and could hit her target most of the time, though her consistency was still lacking and Rian didn't know how she would react to a live target.

"Even you," Jorgan replied firmly. "You're really improving. And even just carrying a blaster is often enough to make someone think twice, which could be all you need." Rian nodded her agreement, and Xirra acquiesced with a sigh, slumping back against Corso.

The rest of the evening was spent building up plans for every scenario that they could come up with and by the end of it, Rian was nursing a headache. Jorgan had continuously made snide remarks about the Sith and her possible motives until even Lomning's legendary patience was visibly wearing thin. Playing the intermediary wasn't one of Rian's strengths but she was the captain so it fell to her to keep her crew from jumping down each other's throats. She firmly called it a night when she saw the muscles in Corso's shoulders bunch as if the young man was thinking of jumping up angrily at the latest of Jorgan's comments.

She retreated to her quarters and sighed with relief as the door hissed shut behind her. She dimmed the lights to nearly nothing and leaned back against the wall, trying to get the throbbing behind her eyes to recede. There were times when the downsides of having a crew outweighed the benefits, and this was one of them. She missed being able to make decisions and plans on her own, but she had to admit that Viggota and Jorgan were good tacticians. She and her crew were going to be prepared for whatever this Sith had to offer.

There was a light tap on the doorframe behind her, soft enough that she could ignore it if she wanted to, but she knew she would feel guilty if she did. She scrubbed a hand over her face and keyed the lights back up to full brightness before unlocking the door and letting it hiss open.

It was Lomning, standing in the hall with a steaming cup in one hand and a sympathetic expression on his face. "May I enter?" he asked, voice mercifully soft. Rian stepped aside to let him in, closing the door behind him. He keyed the lights to half without a word, and handed her the cup. "I could sense your headache," he said to her questioning look. "It is a restorative tea. It should help."

"Thanks," she said, taking a tentative sip. It was the perfect temperature, tasting of some unfamiliar spice as she rolled it across her tongue. She leaned against the wall beside the door and closed her eyes, feeling the headache throb behind them. "You're okay with this?" she asked him quietly. "Working with a Sith?"

"I feel much the same as you about it," Lomning responded. There was a faint rustle of fabric as he moved. "This drug must be destroyed, before it causes incalculable harm. And she seems sincere in her desire to help. I wish to meet her, to see for myself."

Rian nodded, taking another sip before opening her eyes. Lomning was leaning one shoulder against the wall on the other side of the doorframe, arms crossed over his ample belly and his _lekku_ draped forward over his shoulders. "I'm not used to this being so hard," she said plaintively.

"Being the captain?" Lomning asked.

"Having a crew," she replied. She took another sip of the tea and moved to sit down on the edge of her bed. "It was easier sometimes, being alone."

He sat down beside her and she leaned her shoulder against his. "Do you regret it?"

She shook her head, surprised at how easy it was to answer honestly. "No. I like having all of you around, most of the time. I love my ship, but sometimes she can be awfully quiet."

"How long have you had her?" Lomning asked. Either the tea or the dim lights were helping, and Rian could feel her headache receding.

"I started as part of the crew about ten years ago," she told him. "She's been mine for the past five years." She could barely remember the person she had been, as skinny and scared as Xirra had been when she had first come on board, and probably twice as desperate. She had stowed away on the ship when a malfunctioning shock collar had let her escape the whorehouse on the pirate moon of Carratos, and had been found by the crew after their first hyperspace jump. There wasn't much question at that point of them taking her back to her former masters, and the old captain had let her join his crew. She'd had no skills to offer - well, none that she had been willing to offer - but she had worked hard and learned all she could until she was surprised one day when the captain promoted her to first mate when the previous one had retired. After the captain himself had retired, he had left the ship to her.

"Was she already the _Event Horizon_ then? Or did you name her yourself?" Lomning's arm was warm against hers and she could feel herself relaxing into the contact.

"She already had the name when I joined up." She finished the tea and set the cup on her nightstand before leaning against his shoulder again. "The story I heard from one of the crew is that she wasn't always called that, though. Originally, the captain and his wife had run the ship together, and she'd picked out some other name. Then she'd died, and he'd nearly followed her, taking bad jobs and being reckless with his ship and his crew. One of them finally sat him down and told him that he was on the event horizon of a black hole, and they'd all leave him if he didn't pull himself back from the edge. None of them were willing to die for his grief." She shrugged. "So he straightened himself out, and changed the name so he'd never forget."

Lomning nodded. "And you kept it?"

She gave him a wan smile. "Sometimes we all need a reminder that there's an edge out there that we shouldn't get too close to." She looked down at the toes of her worn boots, knocking them together. "Did I make the right choice?" she asked quietly. "I'm not used to my decisions affecting this many people."

Lomning wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "What would you have done, if it had been only you? What would you have done if you had heard of this drug six months ago?"

"Anything I could to stop it from being distributed," she said without hesitation. "Assuming I didn't hurt anyone else in the process. Well, anyone who didn't deserve it," she amended.

"Would you have worked with a Sith, if you had been on your own?"

"I would have considered it," she admitted. "It would have been a judgement call. And it would have depended on what the Sith's plan was."

"So, exactly the decision you have made today." Lomning tightened his arm around her, a smile on his face. "And you allowed everyone a vote, just as you promised. I do not think you could have done this any better than you did."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Rian said, leaning her head on his shoulder with a sigh.

"It is more than just that," the Jedi told her. "I am not patronizing you. I think you are doing a very good job with this unusual situation. Like all things, it will take some time to get used to."

Rian rubbed at her eyes and bit back a yawn. The headache seemed mostly gone and now she was just tired. "I'm not sure why Jorgan agreed," she told him. "He voted yes, but he doesn't really seem to want to do it."

"I do not wish to break a confidence," Lomning started delicately, "But I can say that he will see this plan through. He does not wish any harm to come to the crew."

She snorted, sitting up and shaking her head. "He's doing it for the 'I told you so' when she betrays us," she guessed. Lomning tipped his head slightly in acknowledgement but didn't say anything. "Well, I hope he's wrong, but I'll be glad to have him with us." She shook her head again. "This has all been really strange. I just hope I'm doing okay."

"You are doing fine, Captain." Lomning smiled and squeezed her shoulder, then stood to pick up her empty mug. "I will leave you to rest. Though if I may offer a suggestion, perhaps you and Aric should speak privately tomorrow." She grimaced but nodded in agreement. Things had been tense, and she didn't want to let them fester. Lomning bowed gracefully to her. "I will contact the Council and let you know when they respond."

She nodded as Lomning let himself out, then stood to lock the door behind him. She stripped down and dragged on her nightclothes, half asleep even before her head hit the pillow.

The ship was quiet the next morning. In dock, the usual hum of the engines was missing, and even her crew was surprisingly quiet today. Rian was already used to the raucous noise of a full ship. She yawned as she made her way to the kitchen. It was empty save for Seetoo, who was putting away the dishes from dinner the night before, and Corso, who was slouched in his usual chair at the table. He propped his head up with one hand when she came in and smiled sleepily at her. "Morning, Captain," he said, covering a yawn.

"Late night?" she asked him with a grin. She didn't think he and Xirra were sharing quarters at night - and it wasn't any of her business if they were or not - but he certainly looked more tired than he should have been.

His blush was visible even on his dark skin as he of course assumed the worst from her simple question. "None of your business, I'm sure," he replied primly.

Rian laughed and patted his dreadlocks fondly on her way to the caf pot. She was glad he and Xirra had found each other. It was a weight off her shoulders to not have him chasing after her all the time. She was too old for him, too cynical. He needed someone with their ideals intact. Not that Xirra was innocent either, but they seemed to fit together well, better than she and Corso would have, and they were good for each other. Xirra stabilized Corso's wilder fits of excited energy, while Corso's gentle affection was helping to bring Xirra out of her shell. "Where is everyone?" she asked him, flicking the switch on the caf machine.

"Still asleep, I believe." Seetoo told her, handing over a clean mug just as she turned to reach for one. "None of the other door sensors have triggered yet this morning."

"Really?" Rian jiggled the pot impatiently as if it might make the caf brew faster. "Those soldiers are usually up pretty early."

At the table, Corso was blushing again, the tips of his ears fiercely red. "You watch the door sensors?" he asked the droid.

"Of course," Seetoo replied. "As a matter of security, and to monitor the health of all on board."

Corso tipped his head curiously. "Okay, I understand doing it for security, but how does watching the doors help to monitor health?"

"It helps me to determine patterns," Seetoo told him. "Then if there are activities that fall outside of those predetermined patterns I can respond appropriately. For example, if it appears that one of the crew is not sleeping well, I can suggest a course of action to assist in returning to a regular sleep pattern."

Corso's blush had faded slowly as he listened, and he nodded. "I guess that makes sense."

Rian bit her lip to keep from grinning at Corso's assumption that Seetoo had been keeping an eye on his nocturnal activities. She wasn't surprised that the droid kept a record of how often each door opened, but he was circumspect enough to not say anything about it. "Hey, Farm Boy," she called, and he squinted sleepily up at her. "Everything okay with you? Things were pretty tense yesterday."

"Oh," he said, straightening up and pushing his hair out of his face. "Yeah. I mean, I know that no one really means the things they say when they're arguing like that."

Rian chuckled quietly. "You always see the best in people, don't you? You and Jorgan were almost at each other's throats last night, and here you are just waving it away like it's nothing."

"It sort of is," Corso said, propping his chin on his hand. "I know Jorgan's got my back. He respects me and my opinions. He's just got strong emotions, and he's stubborn. I can see how he'd come across as being angry a lot of the time, but he's just... intense, you know? Focused. He's not concerned with sugar-coating things. Don't know if that's a Cathar trait or a soldier thing or just him, but it doesn't bother me. I always know where I stand with him."

"Could be all three," she said, surprised at how perceptive her aw-shucks first mate could be. The caf machine beeped and she reached for the pot to fill her mug. Behind her, Seetoo clanked across the kitchen to turn the warming unit on.

She heard footsteps in the hallway and glanced up as Viggota came into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing at his head. His hand scraped across the stubble that darkened his scalp. "Morning," he said, dropping into one of the chairs by the wall.

"Late night?" she asked, sitting down across from him and setting the caf pot in the middle of the table.

"Didn't sleep well," he said, rocking his head back and forth to make his neck crack. "I guess I've already gotten used to the engine noise." Rian nodded sympathetically. She never slept as well in dock as she did in space. It was surprisingly easy to get used to the steady background hum of the engines.

Seetoo had timed things to perfection and was just finishing up breakfast as the others slowly drifted into the kitchen. Xirra looked just as tired as Corso, which made him blush again though Rian wisely said nothing. Jorgan was the only one of them who actually seemed to be awake. Rian noticed his eyes on her a few times but he never said anything when she caught his gaze.

Lomning was the last to appear, face serene but dark circles under his eyes. He set a datapad down beside his plate as he joined them at the table. "Good morning," he said as Seetoo served up breakfast.

"Good timing, Jedi," Viggota said, digging in. "Just in time for food."

Lomning smiled, reaching for the pot of caf and filling his mug. "A Jedi always knows the perfect time to arrive." Jorgan snorted into his own mug, a half smile curling his lips and Rian saw the others grin as well.

"That seems like a misuse of your Force abilities," Rian teased, reaching across and stealing Lomning's mug, swapping it for her empty one. He pretended to glare at her before filling the empty mug and spooning sweetener into it.

She let the conversation drop as everyone dug into their breakfasts, the clatter of cutlery the main sound around the table. The atmosphere was so pleasant she was loath to bring up the question of the Sith.

In the end, it was Lomning who did it, leaning back in his chair and tapping his fingers absently on the datapad once his plate was empty. "I have communicated with the Council," he said, instantly drawing everyone's attention. "They are less than pleased with our half-hearted acceptance of their request, but my master pointed out that we are merely being cautious."

"Do they have any new information?" Rian asked, curling her hands around her still-warm mug of caf.

Lomning nodded. "They were able to contact Lord Kevrisa, and she has set the meeting for three days from now, here on Nar Shaddaa."

"Where are we meeting?" Jorgan asked, leaning forward intently.

"A cantina on the Lower Promenade called the Slippery Slopes," Lomning said, consulting his datapad briefly.

"I know it," Rian said, finishing the last of her caf. "It's pretty reputable, as these places go. They don't tolerate trouble."

"We should check it out," Viggota said. "We'll want to be familiar with the layout before the meeting."

"I agree," Rian said with a nod. "So I guess that's what we'll get up to today, so we know if we need to make any changes to our plans. Then we just wait."

"I hate waiting," Corso said with a long sigh, and nods answered him around the table.

Rian lingered after breakfast, helping Seetoo clean up the dishes. Corso had offered to help but she waved him off, telling her crew to go and get some rest. She wanted them sharp today.

"I can finish up here, Master," Seetoo finally told her, shooing her gently away. She went, bemused, wondering just who was in charge here.

She briefly entertained the idea of a nap but she was too keyed up. Despite her vote in favour, the idea of meeting with a Sith had her on edge. From what Lomning had shared, Kevrisa sounded nothing like the horror stories, but she was still a Sith. Even without having been raised on tales of Sith bogeymen, Rian had still heard enough tales in her time on the _Event Horizon_ to worry her.

She let her feet carry her absently to the bridge and was surprised to find Jorgan already there, sitting at one of the forward gunner's seats with a datapad in his hand. His eyes flicked to the doorway when Rian paused there, one hand on the frame. "Sorry," she said. "Didn't think anyone would be up here."

"I was waiting for you," he rumbled, setting the datapad aside. "I figured you'd show up here sooner or later."

Rian arched her brows in surprise and stepped fully onto the bridge, settling herself in the pilot's chair. With the ship docked, most of the consoles were dark, but she scanned them quickly out of habit. "Am I that predictable?" she asked, and she caught a flash of sharp teeth as the Cathar smiled.

"You like to keep an eye on things," he said, swivelling his chair to face her. "Lomning said we should talk."

"Very direct," she said, stretching her legs out and crossing them at the ankle.

"No sense in dancing around it," he pointed out. "He suggested that I might have been a bit confrontational last night, and that I might want to think about apologizing."

Rian smiled at him and she hadn't realized just how tense he was until she saw him relax marginally. "No hard feelings. But he's right. We were all a little on edge. I'm not used to having a crew on board," she offered as an explanation. "It's been hard for me to remember that I'm not flying solo now. I'm used to being able to make my own decisions on the fly. And I'm certainly not used to playing mediator to try to keep my people from jumping across the table at each other!"

Jorgan chuckled. "Sounds like a bar brawl. I'd think you'd be used to those."

"In cantinas, sure," Rian said, grinning. "But then I can just get out of the way if I don't want to participate. It's different when it's on my ship, when it's my crew."

"True," the Cathar rumbled. He reached for his datapad again, toying absently with it. "So. I apologize. I know I was being an ass last night. I'll try to tone it down."

"Apology accepted," Rian said with a nod. People in her line of work were more likely to ignore problems and try to move on than apologize for them, but if he was going to make the effort, so would she. "I appreciate it."

"I'd better talk to Riggs too," Jorgan said, standing with a grunt.

"You can, but he's okay," Rian said. "I talked to him this morning." Jorgan looked momentarily torn between curiosity and letting a private conversation stay private. "He seems to think there's no problems between the two of you. He told me he knows you respect him and his opinions, but that you have strong emotions and you're stubborn, and I guess things just boiled over."

Jorgan ducked his head in embarrassment. "I guess that's an accurate enough assessment," he muttered. "I'll talk to him anyways. Thanks for listening."

She stood as he approached. "Anytime, Jorgan. I hope you know that."

"I do," he replied, stepping past her and pausing in the doorway. "Thanks."

Rian sank back down into her chair and leaned back. That had gone better than she had expected. She was still adjusting to having a crew on board again. She knew things weren't always going to run smoothly, but it was nice when they did. She reached over to flick one of her screens on and bring up the holonet site for the Slippery Slopes cantina. She had been there before, but only a few times. She wanted to be ready.


	3. Chapter 3

Bit of a short chapter here, sorry! The next one should be up within the next couple of days.

* * *

The Slippery Slopes cantina was fairly clean for Nar Shaddaa, busy but not overwhelming, and the servers and owners weren't out to cheat their customers too badly. The neon signs were visible from down the block, flashing brightly in the artificial night of Nar Shaddaa's underlevels.

Like Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa's city spanned the whole moon, multiple levels reaching up from the surface and down into the crust in a series of enclosed hallways that never saw the sun. Unlike Coruscant, the moon was independent, controlled by the Hutt clans of Nal Hutta, a planet that didn't belong to either the Empire or the Republic. This meant it had become a haven for pirates, though they tended to stick to the lower levels. Nar Shaddaa's upper levels were filled with high-end resorts that catered to rich folks looking for a getaway where they didn't need to be too concerned with laws. Rian had been in the upper levels a few times and it always left her feeling more than a little dirty. Not that she was entirely on the side of law herself, but her own moral code left her uncomfortable with some of the activities that took place in the Hutts' high-end hotels.

The Slippery Slopes was close enough to the upper levels that it tended to run on the same day-night cycle as the surface of the moon. Some of the cantinas on the underlevels ran under the assumption that since they never saw the sun, there was no point in having "last call", or even in closing at all.

The music in the cantina was loud without being overpowering, just enough to keep conversations from being overheard from more than a few feet away. It was surprisingly busy for the time of day, a steady stream of customers breaking early for lunch. Rian's holonet research had shown that the place had a pretty good lunch buffet, which gave them an excellent reason to visit without looking out of place or suspicious.

A bar dominated the centre of the space with a wide ramp beyond it that led down to a sunken dance floor, empty and dark at the moment. There was a slightly raised stage against the far wall to host bands or dancers. A series of balconies with curved, neon-lit railings rose above the floor at both ends of the cantina, their tables empty this early in the day.

As soon as they stepped in through the door, Rian could see Viggota and Jorgan already scanning sightlines and exits. She had managed to convince the soldiers to leave their heavy weaponry and armour behind, though they were all wearing lighter armour similar to her usual attire. This part of Nar Shaddaa pretended at respectability, unlike the seedy lower levels. Heavily armoured groups here this early in the day would stand out like sore thumbs, and she wanted to at least try to keep a low profile. She waved her crew towards one of the larger booths that was tucked into a corner near the door. Most of the occupied tables were closer to the bar so they would be able to talk without being overheard.

They had barely sat down before a server droid clanked over to their table. "How may I assist you?" it asked. Its silver chassis reflected a half dozen different colours in the neon-lit bar.

"We're here for the buffet," Rian replied.

"Past the bar, near the kitchens," the droid said, gesturing jerkily towards one of the doors that led off the main room. It looked like one of the servos in its elbow was jammed, preventing it from a full range of motion with that arm. It held out a credit reader with its other hand, and Rian tapped her credstick against it. "I will bring a pot of caf for the table."

The buffet was set up in a smaller room attached to the kitchen, lined with long tables holding heating units filled with food. There wasn't anything particularly interesting or exotic, but it was hot and plentiful. Rian and her crew picked up plates and joined the end of the short line.

Back at their table, Rian found herself between Viggota and Jorgan. "What do you know about this place?" Jorgan asked, eyes sweeping the cantina suspiciously. "Any other exits?"

Rian nodded, swallowing her mouthful. "A couple of them. One through the kitchens for deliveries, and at least two on the upper levels. I suspect there are probably more, but I don't know for sure."

"Good, we won't be stuck if we need another way out," Viggota said, tapping his fork absently on the edge of his plate.

"Can you show us where they are?" Jorgan asked.

"The kitchens are through where the buffet is set up," Rian said, leaning back and gesturing upwards. "The other two are on the upper level of the balconies, in the far corners. They're emergency exits, so they're well marked, but they're locked unless the alarms go off."

Viggota nodded thoughtfully, following Rian's gaze to the balconies overhead. There were stairs and automated lifts to each level, currently cordoned off and unused during the slow hours. "How busy does this place get?"

"Pretty busy, during peak times. Do we know when she wants to meet?" Rian asked Lomning.

"I have not yet heard back from the Council," he said. "They did confirm that they have passed our acceptance of the meeting on to her, but she has not yet provided them with a time."

Rian shrugged. "Then let's make a couple of plans. Though I assume that she'll want to wait 'til the place is busier, so she won't be as noticeable."

"That makes sense," Viggota said, scraping his plate clean. "We'll need a plan to make sure no civilians are caught up if things go badly."

They spent the next hour going over possibilities until Rian was nearly ready to scream. Corso caught her eye and pulled a face. She knew he understood - he'd flown by the seat of his pants often enough. She didn't mind having a plan in place, but she also knew that even the best plans couldn't always cover every eventuality. Sticking to a plan could be more trouble than it was worth sometimes. You needed to be able to improvise if things fell apart.

"I think we have covered as much as we reasonably can," Lomning finally said. "And we have all finished eating. I don't believe there is anything further we can accomplish here."

Jorgan reluctantly agreed and they all stood and moved to the exit. Rian watched the Cathar's eyes track across the Promenade outside of the cantina, checking for exits and places where an ambush could be set up. The Promenade was busier than the cantina had been, with the lunch rush starting in earnest now. The enclosed space was broad and high, with a balcony some twenty feet above filled with more shops and offices.

A large golden statue of a Hutt wearing an unattractive, bell-shaped hat dominated the centre of the Promenade, surrounded by a low fountain. Neon lights flashed and flared from a dozen storefronts and holographic trees stood in otherwise empty pots along the Promenade, their semi-transparent shapes flickering occasionally thanks to their low-quality emitters. Rian didn't quite understand that design decision, but she supposed that since there weren't a lot of real trees on Nar Shaddaa this gave the locals something to look at. The persistent whir of the air recyclers provided a low counterpoint to the constant hum of conversation around the Promenade.

"What are you thinking?" she asked Jorgan, stepping neatly out of the way of a gaggle of young kids of several different species. From what Rian could understand of their conversation - heavily laced with unfamiliar local slang - they were probably playing hooky from school.

"I'm not thrilled that there's only one entrance," Jorgan rumbled, looking back at the neon-lit doorway to the cantina. "I don't really like the idea of walking in the front door, where she'll be expecting us."

"I'm not going to risk the wrath of the owner sneaking in the service entrance," Rian said, shaking her head. "It's a public enough place that we shouldn't need to worry about an ambush. All the information Lomning's got says that she doesn't harm innocents."

Jorgan nodded thoughtfully, glancing over to meet Viggota's eyes. The big Human shrugged in response. "I agree with Rian. We don't really have any other good options. Front entrance it is, I guess." Just as Jorgan opened his mouth to reply, a shriek from further down the Promenade cut through the general din. Rian spun on her heel, hands going instinctively for her blasters.

Everyone on the Promenade was already scattering. Life on the Hutt-controlled moon encouraged self-preservation over curiosity and at first Rian couldn't see what was happening. "What's going on?" she shouted, drawing one of her blasters.

"I'm not sure," Viggota said. He was the tallest of them, and was stretching up to try to peer over the crowd. "Those kids are in the middle of it, though."

Rian felt her blood run cold. Nar Shaddaa was a haven for slavers, and while they didn't usually act this brazenly in such a public place, it wasn't entirely unheard of. The teenaged girls - and possibly the boys - that had passed them earlier would be tempting targets. "It might be slavers," she said, grabbing her other blaster. "Come on."

She darted through the crowd as best she could, an old hand at this sort of thing. She knew how crowds moved, and quickly outpaced the soldiers who were trying to force their way against the flow of people. She ducked around the plinth of the ugly golden statue and finally caught a glimpse of what was happening. The kids had drifted close to one of the corridors that lead off the Promenade, where apparently a crew of slavers had been loitering. Rian wasn't sure if they had been looking for prey or if they had just seized an opportunity, but they had blasters drawn and at least two of the kids already corralled.

The crowd opened up in front of her and she risked a shot, catching one of the slavers on the shoulder. He reeled back, anger and pain crossing his face, and he lifted his own blaster to return fire. Rian ducked to the side before he could work out where in the crowd the shot had come from and pulled both triggers. She caught him in the chest and he staggered back and fell before he could even get a shot off.

She chanced a quick look behind her. Viggota and Jorgan had their pistols drawn and were crouched behind two of the heavy planters that held the holographic trees. Lomning was tending to a three-legged alien with lavender fur that seemed to have sprained one of their ankles in their haste to get away. Corso was pushing Xirra into cover in the doorway of a nearby shop and had to duck quickly as another one of the slavers took a shot at him.

Rian darted forward, rolling behind another planter as she worked her way closer to the group of slavers. Most of the kids had scattered along with the rest of the crowd, but she spotted at least one more that was still cornered, and she couldn't see what had happened to the two that had already been grabbed.

A blaster bolt shot by overhead, too close for comfort and she ducked further into cover. "Keep them busy!" she called. Viggota glanced her way and nodded, popping up to shoot at the slavers though his shots mostly went wide as he tried to avoid the girl who was screaming and trying to jerk her arm free from a burly slaver's grasp. More blaster fire from near his position let her know where Jorgan was, but both of them were too far away to do any real good. Rian ducked around the far side of the planter and ran closer, slipping into a doorway and peeking around the corner. The kids were all out of sight now and she could only see three slavers still guarding the hall, probably covering the retreat.

Rian pressed her back tight to the door of the shop to avoid a shot. She could hear frantic conversation from inside but she tuned it out when she heard the lock click behind her. It was best if they stayed out of the way. Across the Promenade, Corso was crouched in the doorway of another shop. The door behind him was closed too, and Rian hoped that the shopkeepers had let Xirra in before they had taken cover. She couldn't spot the girl from where she was, but Corso didn't look worried. Lomning had put up a shield around himself and the injured alien, and was helping the creature carefully to their three feet. They tested their balance and dipped their head in thanks before hurrying away down another hallway.

Rian was about twenty feet from the hallway that the slavers were holding. Viggota and Jorgan were doing their best to keep them pinned down, but it wouldn't be long before they started retreating. If they made it to any sort of transport, they'd be gone. Taking a deep breath, she tightened her grip on her blasters and sprinted for the corridor.

She heard Corso shout behind her but she ignored him, ducking under the off-target shot from one of the startled slavers as she closed the distance. She kicked him hard in the knee, bringing the butt of her blaster down on his head as he fell. She pivoted on her heel to bring her other blaster to bear on the second one, shooting him in the face and dropping to the ground as the third one fired at her. Just as she did, another blaster bolt whined by overhead and the last slaver dropped, shot neatly in the forehead.

Rian glanced over her shoulder to see Jorgan with his blaster braced on one of the planters, having taken his shot right through one of the slowly-rotating holographic trees. She nodded in thanks and sprang to her feet to run down the corridor. She could hear boots on the durasteel behind her as the others followed. She rounded the next corner and skidded to a halt, swearing vociferously.

The corridor opened up onto a landing pad, empty save for a pile of rusting debris in one corner that might have once been a speeder bike. In the distance she could see a pair of nondescript airspeeders disappearing into the dimness of the Undercity. The slavers' airspeeders merged with the flow of traffic and she quickly lost sight of them.

Rian clipped her blasters back to her hips before she gave into the urge to scream and throw them over the edge of the landing platform. She spun to see Viggota, Corso, and Jorgan running out onto the platform with her behind her. "They're gone," she snapped, stalking back towards the corridor. "We're too late."

Corso reached for her but she shook his hand off. She had failed again, and there were at least three kids who were going to suffer for it.

She nearly tripped over Lomning as she came around the corner. He was crouched over one of the slavers, a middle-aged Human man with the sickly pale skin of someone who had lived their whole life in Nar Shaddaa's underlevels and had never actually seen sunlight. His dirty blond hair was matted and red with blood from the blow Rian had delivered to the top of his head, and his knee was twisted from her kick.

Xirra was pressed against the wall behind Lomning, looking nervous. She jumped when Rian came around the corner, looking up with wide eyes. Rian felt her anger fade away a little at the look of fright on Xirra's face. She swallowed down the sour taste of failure as best as she could. She had other responsibilities now. "Is everyone all right?" she asked Lomning. She barely recognized her own voice, and the Jedi gave her a long look.

"Yes, no one was hurt," he said, glancing back down at the bloodied slaver at his feet. The bodies of the other two still lay where they had fallen. "I take it you were unsuccessful in stopping them?"

Rian nodded, feeling bile rise in her throat again. "They got away. There's no way we'll find them now."

Lomning shook his head and looked back up at her. "This one still lives," he told her. She could see barely contained anger in his eyes, but none of it was in his voice. "Perhaps we can convince him to talk."

Rian paced the hall outside their makeshift brig, her boot heels ringing on the durasteel decking. She knew the sound was bothering the others - she could see a muscle jump in Jorgan's jaw with every footfall - but she wasn't about to go change into her soft-soled ship shoes, and there was no way she could stay still right now.

Lomning had been sequestered with their captive for nearly half an hour. The Jedi had volunteered to lead the interrogation, waving a hand vaguely near his temple in explanation and Rian had been more than happy to let him. They needed information, and they needed it fast. She wasn't squeamish, and was sure she could have gotten him to talk, but if the Jedi could do it faster so much the better.

"Rian, stop," Viggota finally said, stepping out in front of her as she spun to continue her path back and forth in front of the cargo bay door. It wasn't the same one they had kept Xirra in - that one had already been converted to quarters for her - but it had been empty enough to serve their purpose. Viggota reached out and laid a hand tentatively on her shoulder. "Lomning will get the information we need. You need to trust him."

"I do," she said, shrugging his hand off and jamming her hands in her pockets. The urge to move, to do _something_ was almost overwhelming but she forced herself to stay still. "But the longer this takes, the less chance we have of ever finding those kids again." She bit her tongue before she could say any more. Corso and Lomning knew she had been a slave but the others didn't. Let them think it was merely the concern of any honest citizen, rather than something intensely personal.

Viggota rubbed his hand over his head, his palm rasping against the stubble there. "I know. But wearing yourself out pacing isn't going to help." He glanced towards the others, a wry smile quirking his lips. "And you're just irritating everyone else."

"I know," she said with a sigh that was as close to an apology as she was willing to get at the moment. She turned away and glared at the closed door. It hissed open as if in response and she just barely stopped herself from jumping backwards in surprise.

Lomning slipped out, looking drained and sad, and let the door close behind him. Rian caught a glimpse of the slaver, cuffed to a chair in the middle of the room with his back to the door. His head was slumped forward and she couldn't tell if he was awake or not.

"Did you get any intel?" Jorgan asked, leaning forward intently.

Lomning nodded tiredly. "Yes. It's as you suspected, they are slavers who happened to find an easy target. The young women were taken for sale."

"Did he say where?" Rian asked. If they'd already shipped the girls off Nar Shaddaa, there was no way she could track them down in time. She could pass the information along to the Republic authorities, but it wasn't likely that the slavers would be headed for a Republic-controlled world.

"Here, on Nar Shaddaa," Lomning said. "In a cantina in the Corellian Sector called the Rancor Pit." He blew out a long breath. "It's tonight."

That didn't leave them much time. "I've heard of the place, but I've never been there," Rian said. "It's the worst of the worst."

"Is there any way we can get in?" Viggota asked.

"I don't know," she replied with a frown. "Security will probably be pretty tight, especially if there's an auction going on." She shook her head again. "We don't have much time, if the sale's tonight. Let me get in touch with some of my contacts and see what they have to say."

She glanced around at her crew, who all nodded in agreement. None of them looked happy, but she hadn't expected them to be. She turned and headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. She didn't let herself relax until the door of her quarters hissed shut behind her, then she sagged against it and closed her eyes. At least there was still time.

* * *

FYI - Some canon-typical slavery over the next few chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

Some canon-typical slavery over the next few chapters.

* * *

It took Rian a few hours to get through to her contacts, feeling every second ticking away like the timer on a bomb. The information was just as bad as she had feared. The cantina would be open to the public, but the auction was being held in a private back room and was by invitation only. The Exchange - the criminal organization that was holding the sale - ran a tight ship, and Rian wasn't a good enough slicer to finagle them an invitation. Kixi probably was, but she had done a really good job of disappearing after Rian and the others had rescued her from the Black Sun on Coruscant. None of Rian's digging had turned up any trace of her and she didn't know anyone on Nar Shaddaa that she trusted to do the job quickly enough without getting caught. Good work took time.

She was unsurprised to find the others in the kitchen when she finally emerged from her quarters. They were all quiet, staring moodily at datapads or into their mugs of caf. Jorgan noticed her first, sharp ears twitching as she paused in the doorway. He looked up, drawing everyone else's attention to her. She took her customary spot at the head of the table with a sigh.

"It's not great news," she told them, and saw Corso's face fall. "We can get into the cantina - it's open to the public - but the sale is in a private room, invitation only."

"Then we need a way to get an invitation," Jorgan said with a shrug.

"What, you want one of us to play a slaver or something?" Corso asked with a laugh but he sobered quickly at the look on Jorgan's face and Xirra made a soft noise of protest at his side. "That's exactly what you're thinking, isn't it?"

The Cathar nodded reluctantly, sharing a glance with Viggota that made a sick feeling start to curl in Rian's stomach. She was pretty sure where this was going. Obviously the two soldiers had been talking tactics while she had been busy. "We don't have time to do this any other way," Jorgan said. "We need to get in there before the auction, and if we go in with guns blazing, we're putting those girls in danger."

"Well how are we going to convince them we're slavers, then?" Corso asked. "Hire a dancing girl to parade around with?" He trailed off as he looked from Jorgan to Viggota and back again, then his eyes flicked to Rian and went wide with horror. "Oh, no. No way. Figure out a different plan."

"We don't have time. This is our best chance." Viggota didn't look any happier than Corso, but he tightened his jaw stubbornly. At his side, Lomning was sitting as though carved from stone. Rian didn't think he liked the plan much either, but Viggota was right. They didn't have a lot of time.

Corso looked over at her and Rian knew he was remembering the conversation on Ord Mantell, when she had told him how she had been kidnapped as a child. She shook her head slightly to indicate that the two soldiers didn't know. It was none of their business, even if Corso looked like he was ready to blurt the whole story out if it would get them to reconsider their plan.

"Fine, then," Corso snapped, ignoring Xirra when she laid a hand tentatively on his arm. "But I'll do it."

Viggota was already shaking his head. "No good. You'd punch the first man that looked at her and you'd blow our cover."

Corso glared but Rian knew Viggota was probably right. "So you're volunteering?" her first mate asked acidly.

"If I have to," Viggota said mildly, ignoring the anger in Corso's voice. "Look, Corso, I don't like this any more than you do. But I can't just sit here and let those kids be sold into slavery. I need to at least try to stop it."

Rian placed both of her hands flat on the table in front of her, glad to see that they weren't visibly shaking. "He's right. We have to try." She looked up at Corso. "I want you and Xirra to stay here. You're our backup if something goes wrong. And I need you to keep an eye on the prisoner, and the ship." She shook her head firmly when Corso opened his mouth. She didn't want Xirra anywhere near this, but she wasn't leaving the girl alone either. As welcome as Corso's gun would have been, she wasn't going up against the Exchange and leaving her ship undefended. If something went wrong, at least Corso would keep the _Event Horizon_ safe.

"Why not just turn him in?" Xirra asked tentatively.

"Who would we turn him over to?" Viggota asked. "Nar Shaddaa isn't Republic-controlled. Anyone in authority has a good chance to be allied with the Hutts - which means they might not care about slavers. And even if we do find someone willing to help, we'd be taking a big risk. Official operations take time to organize, and have to follow procedures. They might end up getting there too late. And a big operation isn't exactly subtle. If the slavers find out, they'd have enough time to clear out with the kids."

"Then why can't we just get rid of him?" Corso asked, jerking a thumb back towards the door.

"Because we don't know if he's telling the truth," Jorgan replied before Rian could. "Not that I think he's clever enough to be able to fool a Jedi, but we can't take that chance. We need to keep him alive until we know for sure."

Rian nodded her agreement and Corso subsided with a scowl. At least she wasn't the only one to think of the worst that could happen. "Viggota, you can play slaver if you think you're up to it. Jorgan, you're his bodyguard." She tilted her head to look at Lomning. "I can't think of a role for you to play, Jedi. We've already seen that you're not great at acting."

"That is true," Lomning said with a shrug. "Let me be just another cantina patron, then. I will enter separately, and keep my hood up. I will be nearby if you need me."

She nodded, swallowing to try to calm her stomach. "So I guess you need to go shopping, then," she said to Viggota and Jorgan. "You'll need to look the part."

Rian escaped back to her quarters after Lomning left with Viggota and Jorgan in tow. Corso had looked at her pleadingly but she had pretended not to see as she had left the kitchen. Her hands shook as she keyed the door open but she managed to keep herself together until it hissed closed behind her and she had engaged the locks. She pressed her back to the door and slid slowly down to the floor, shivering hard. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She knew this wouldn't be for real, but the mere thought of wearing a slave collar again - even a fake one - tied her stomach in knots.

Hidden away at the very back of her closet was a box that held a dancer's costume, out of sight but never out of mind. It had been years since she had last worn it, but it made a surprisingly good disguise. No one looked twice at a Twi'lek dancing girl in a cantina. People would talk about anything in front of one. But playing a server in a small casino was a completely different challenge than what she was facing now.

The costume had been neatly folded and she hung it up to let the wrinkles fall out while showered. She needed a synthskin patch to cover the scars on her face but the rest of the ones that the skimpy costume would reveal could be disguised fairly well with makeup. Subtle contouring made her face look more softly rounded and paint changed the pattern of the tattoos on her _lekku_ on the off-chance that someone might recognize her. But then again, they probably wouldn't spend much time looking at her face.

Her dancer's costume was made of shimmery white fabric and decorative silver chains. She draped it carefully around her body, making sure all the fabric was lying flat and the criss-crossing chains on her back, shoulders, and hips weren't tangled. Silver sandals completed the outfit. It may have looked highly impractical but it was actually quite comfortable. It was designed for dancing, after all, and had to be able to stay put during a performance. She knew from past experience that she could easily run and fight while wearing it.

A tap at the door distracted her and she took one last look in the mirror, barely recognizing the solemn-faced Twi'lek staring back at her. That was the same face she remembered from year ago, from before the _Event Horizon_ , from when she was still a slave. She turned away hastily and moved to the door.

She disengaged the lock and the door slid open to reveal Lomning waiting outside. He had changed out of his Jedi robes into a pair of worn black trousers and a knee-length brown tunic that was faded and worn. A drab cloak was flung open over his shoulders, the voluminous hood hanging down his back. He didn't look much like a Jedi any more. "I have arranged transportation," he told her. "We will need to leave soon."

Rian nodded and stepped out of her room, feeling ridiculously exposed in her scraps of fabric, and followed Lomning down the hall. The rest of her crew was gathered in the common room. They were clustered around the datapad that Jorgan was holding and she was able to study them unobserved.

Corso and Xirra were still in their normal clothes, neither of them looking very happy. Jorgan was wearing a black suit with subtle plasteel plates stitched into the fabric. The cut of the outfit drew attention to his broad shoulders and chest and the high collar and gloves left none of his russet fur exposed. A helmet with a glossy black face shield sat on a table nearby and he would be completely anonymous once he put it on. He had a pair of blaster pistols on his hips that she recognized from the _Event Horizon_ 's small armoury. He looked dangerous and competent.

Viggota was wearing blue, a deep navy that would let Rian's paler blue skin stand out against him, his head and jaw freshly shaved. The jacket was open to show a finely-made white shirt and the cuffs and collar were heavy with embroidery. The thick, expensive fabric almost completely disguised the fact that he had light body armour on underneath, and Rian only noticed it because she was looking for it. He was also armed, with an almost dainty pistol that Rian knew packed a disproportionately big punch. She was sure that Lomning had his lightsaber tucked away somewhere too. She suddenly felt very vulnerable, but it wasn't like she had anywhere to hide a weapon.

She didn't know if she or Lomning had made a sound or if Jorgan had picked up their scents, but the Cathar's head came up sharply. Corso, Xirra, and Viggota followed his gaze and Rian wanted desperately to turn away. Instead, she straightened her spine and met their eyes squarely. She needed to stay strong to get through this.

Corso took one look at her and blushed red to the roots of his hair. Everything else suddenly became more interesting - the floor, the holoviewer, the couches, the datapad in Jorgan's hand - anything but the expanse of skin his captain was displaying. Xirra looked away too, dropping her eyes to the floor and chewing on her lip. Jorgan's hand tightened on the datapad but he didn't say anything. Viggota gave her a long considering look and nodded. Surprisingly, his frank assessment relaxed her somewhat. He was treating this like any other mission, making sure everything was as ready as he could make it.

Her sense of calm didn't last long. Viggota reached for a small box on the table and turned towards her and she couldn't stop herself from jerking backwards at the sight of the silver slave collar nestled on a bed of black silk. Lomning steadied her with a hand on her shoulder. If the others hadn't already guessed that she had once been a slave, it must be obvious now. "It's not real," Viggota reassured her, his voice firm. "It looks real, but it's not. There's no shock mechanism in it. It doesn't even lock." He tapped a finger against one of the carved decorations. "Press here and the latch will disengage and you can pull it right off."

Rian's skin crawled but she steeled herself and lifted her chin to let Viggota fasten the cold metal around her neck. The click of it closing around her throat made her shudder and she forced her hands down to her sides when she started to reach up to rip the thing off. She wished for the comforting feel of her blasters on her hips, instead of gauze and bare skin.

The silver chain hanging from the ring on the front of the collar was only about three feet long. She wouldn't be able to get very far from Viggota, which was good. No one would expect her to dance on command with a chain that short. She caught the dangling handle before Viggota could touch it. "There's a knife hidden in it," he told her, pointing to one of the purple gems on the handle though she noticed he was careful to not touch it. "This is the release. It's not a blaster, but at least it's something."

The knowledge that she wouldn't be completely unarmed was comforting but she looked down at it, surprised. "This isn't the kind of thing you just buy in the market. This is custom."

Jorgan cleared his throat uncomfortably. "We called in a favour. This isn't exactly the first time this trick has been used. There's an intelligence agent here that I worked with a few years ago. She was willing to overlook the fact that we're not technically military any more when we told her what it was for - off the record, of course."

"She sounds like someone I'd like to meet sometime," Rian said. It made sense. She knew she wasn't the only one who had realized that people would talk about anything in front of a slave. She wrapped the silver chain around her arm and tucked the handle into her hand. She would let Viggota have it when they reached the cantina, but not now. Not yet. She looked up and realized that Corso was watching her closely but before he could say anything, Lomning clapped his hands together briskly.

"We must get going. I've arranged for a friend to drive us to the cantina." He reached out absently to straighten Viggota's collar, ignoring the bemused look the big soldier gave him, and glanced around to make sure everyone else was ready. Viggota and Jorgan did one last check of their weapons - Rian was unsurprised to see that they both had vibroknives in ankle sheaths as well as their blasters - and nodded. Lomning reached for a neatly folded pile of grey fabric on the table by the door and swirled it open - it was a hooded cloak, one that would cover Rian from head to toe. She turned to let him wrap it around her and fasten the clasps down the front to hide the collar and the dancer's costume when she left the ship. Trust a Jedi to have thought of everything.

Lomning's friend - a cheerful Human named Derel who had a pronounced limp and a local's accent - met them at the spaceport. Rian wasn't sure when or how Lomning had befriended someone on Nar Shaddaa, but she was sure it was an interesting story. Derel was driving an understated but expensive airspeeder and took them on a circuitous route through Nar Shaddaa's vast Undercity to ensure their route wouldn't be traced back to the _Event Horizon_. Rian sat beside Lomning, watching the city's neon-bright lights flash past through the window. Jorgan and Viggota were talking quietly in the seats across from her and she roused herself enough to listen. It was hard to focus on anything but the feel of the slave collar around her throat. She tangled her hands together in her lap to keep from reaching up for it.

"We'll need to draw attention to ourselves somehow," Jorgan was saying. His blank-faced helmet was on the seat beside him, the neon lights flashing past outside the airspeeder painting it in a rainbow of colours. "We need an invitation in to the sale, without looking like we're angling for one."

"Just having Rian there won't be enough?" Viggota asked. He was fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat, his hands making aborted motions up to his own collar and Rian hid a smile. She somehow wasn't surprised to see that the no-nonsense soldier hated getting dressed up.

"I'm not likely to be the only slave girl in the cantina," she pointed out, keeping her voice steady and clinical. "You're dressed well enough, and having a bodyguard in addition to a slave girl shows that you've got money. It might be enough." She shrugged, weighing the possibilities. "If not, make a scene if someone tries to touch me. Act the part of the rich man who doesn't like people touching his toys. Security is bound to notice that, and hopefully their bosses will too."

Viggota gave her a concerned look but didn't press. "What if that doesn't work?"

"Then we'll need Lomning to see if he can find another way in. Either inside or outside the cantina. There's got to be more than one way into those back rooms."

Jorgan snorted. "I doubt people like this are really that concerned with fire codes."

Rian smiled wryly. "Probably not, but it's really hard to smuggle anything into a cantina that's only got one entrance."

He tipped his head to acknowledge her point. "That sounds like a workable plan. Lomning, scout around outside first before you come in. Stay in contact, though. I don't like the idea of you being alone down here."

"I can most likely take care of any threats I may face in a back alley," Lomning said mildly, though he did tap the nearly invisible communicator in his ear. With his hood pulled up no one would see it. "But I take your point. I will let you know if I find anything."

Jorgan nodded, glancing out the window as the airspeeder started to slow. "Everyone ready for this?"

"Not really, but let's get it over with," Rian muttered, reaching for the clasps on the cloak before she could start to think too much about it.

Lomning gave her a sympathetic look. "Leave that here," he said. "I will have Derel will come back to pick us up afterwards, or return it to the ship, depending on the outcome of the evening." She nodded, sliding the heavy fabric off her shoulders and checking to make sure her costume was still in order. She slowly unwound the chain from her arm and reached out to hand it to Viggota as the speeder slid to a stop on the cantina's landing pad with the faintest bump.

The big soldier gave her a reassuring smile as he took the handle, holding it loosely in one hand. "What do you need me to do?"

"Keep me close," Rian said, using one of the tinted windows of the airspeeder to check her makeup and make sure the edges of the synthskin patch on her cheek were still stuck down. It pulled uncomfortably at her skin, but someone like the character that Viggota was playing wouldn't have a damaged slave. "The chain is short enough that no one will expect me to dance on command, so I'm clearly more of a pleasure slave than a dancer. Touch me, casual absentminded touches as if you're barely even paying attention to the fact that you're doing it." She turned and fixed him with a stern look. "But don't touch my _lekku_. Got it?"

Viggota nodded, face serious. "I'll do my best. I hope I don't mess this up."

"You'll do fine. Just try not to react to what you might see in there." She turned to Jorgan too. "That goes for both of you. If you've never seen a slave auction before, this won't be pretty. But we're here to blend in and try to come up with a plan to get those kids out. We're going to be badly outnumbered, by slavers, their bodyguards, and security. Keep your head in the game. You can get angry about it later." She could see the wheels turning as they put everything together and turned to Lomning before they could ask why she knew so much about slavers. "We'll see you inside, Jedi."

Lomning nodded and hit the release for the door. Jorgan went out first, anonymous and menacing with his helmet in place. Viggota followed, Rian's chain held in a loose grip. She knew it was because he was uncomfortable with it, but it gave the impression of a man who knew his slave would obey without hesitation. She ducked her head properly and followed him out. She could already feel the heavy bass beat of the cantina's music vibrating through the durasteel plating beneath her sandals.

The interior of the cantina was a riot of colour and sound. Neon lights, pulsing in time with the music, highlighted a dance floor off to the right, a busy bar in the centre, and clusters of tables and chairs to the left. A pair of heavy sabacc tables sat along the wall behind them, crowded with gamblers and their audience. She could smell sweat, perfume, and Spice. Even with her eyes lowered Rian could see a half-dozen different races just from the doorway. They were split nearly evenly between men and women, but the vast majority of the women were slaves or dancers. Very few seemed to have any real power.

"Get a table." Viggota had to lean close to Jorgan to be heard over the music. "Near the back; that's where the private rooms are."

Jorgan nodded, scanning the floor for an empty table. They were in short supply, so he instead set his sights on one with only a couple of people at it. They looked like local thugs, their clothing shabby and their drinks cheap and strong. They were Human, Corellian by the look of them. The sector was named for those refugees, after all, and they were likely to be plentiful here. He strode straight through the crowd like he expected people to clear a path for him, and they did.

Viggota followed, Rian trotting in his wake to keep up with his long strides. Slaves didn't usually move with long, confident steps. She found herself easily falling back into old habits and swallowed against the taste of bile at the back of her throat. She had thought herself far removed from this life, but the ease with which she was able to step back into it was disconcerting.

The two men looked up at Jorgan's approach, taking in his helmet and body armour warily, before looking past him to leer at Rian. "I require this table," Jorgan growled, stepping forward to draw their attention again. The helmet's speaker turned his voice mechanical but Rian could hear the anger in it. "You will move."

"Like hell we will!" one of them retorted, jerking to his feet. His head was shaved and the hair was growing back in unevenly. "You must be new. This here is our table."

Jorgan made a show of looking down at the table, the neon lights from the dance floor flashing against the glossy black visor of his helmet. "I don't see your name on it," he said, dropping one hand to the blaster on his hip.

The man went for a knife but Jorgan had seen the movement almost before it had happened and his free hand shot out in a flash, grabbing and twisting. The sound of breaking bones was lost in the heavy bass beat of the music but the man's shriek of pain cut through the noise. Rian remembered her role and cringed back behind Viggota even though her fingers itched for a blaster. She wasn't used to having other people do the fighting for her.

The second thug grabbed for his blaster but Jorgan already had his drawn and pressed the barrel firmly between the man's eyes before he could complete the motion. "You may want to rethink that," he said coldly. "I believe your friend needs to see a medic. Maybe you should accompany him."

The man's eyes were nearly crossed as he stared at Jorgan's blaster. "I... uh... yeah. Good idea." He scrambled hastily backwards and grabbed his friend's uninjured arm. "Let's go."

Viggota watched them stumble towards the exit as Jorgan made a show of wiping off the table and straightening the chairs. He held one for Viggota, who seated himself and twitched the chain in his hand. Rian went down without protest, tucking her feet under her thighs and folding her hands in her lap, hiding a disgusted face at the sticky feel of the floor against her legs. She knew that the stunt with the thugs would have attracted attention and she had to play her role to perfection. She still couldn't help a shiver as Viggota's hand absently caressed her cheek, though she did notice he was careful not to touch her _lekku_.

Jorgan took up a position where he could have a full view of the room just as a yellow-skinned Twi'lek serving girl approached. She was wearing even less than Rian, barely enough to even be considered clothing. A shock collar was clamped to the back of her neck. "Can I take your order?" she asked, lowering her eyes and pulling her shoulders back to press her breasts forward. Rian could count every one of her ribs even in the darkened cantina.

"Corellian whiskey," Viggota said, and Rian risked a glance up. He was faking a bored expression but she could see the tightness around his eyes. "The good stuff, mind. You'd better not try to serve me swill."

The girl bowed, turning on her heel and sashaying away. Rian watched out the corner of her eye, noticing that the other patrons were mostly watching the serving girl, but a few sets of eyes were on Viggota and Jorgan, assessing the newcomers.

Less than ten minutes later, a tall, slender Human woman approached them. Her left eye glowed blue and her entire jaw and left arm were mechanical. She was dressed in a sleeveless, form-fitting purple dress with cut-outs that showed the dark skin of her back and abdomen. It fell to her ankles, and she had a dozen tiny silver bells hung from rings that pierced through the skin of her feet. She bowed deferentially to Viggota and pitched her mechanical voice to be heard over the music. "My master wishes to apologize for the trouble that was caused to you when you arrived. He would like to make recompense by offering his hospitality. Will you join him?"

Viggota looked up from the drink that he had hardly touched and nodded. "Yes, thank you." He abandoned the glass and stood, barely giving Rian enough time to do so as well before he turned and followed the cyborg woman through the crowd. Hopefully this was the opening they needed to get invited to the sale. It was in less than an hour, so they didn't really have many other options.

A massive Trandoshan guarded the door to a private room off the main part of the cantina but the cyborg woman flicked her mechanical fingers at him and he stepped aside. She led them past the scaled man and into a quiet, dimly lit room.

"Thank you, Syra. That will be all," a male voice spoke from the dimness. The cyborg woman bowed and left, the chiming of the bells on her feet now faintly audible over the music playing outside. "Please, my friend, sit."

Rian risked a glance up through her lashes as Viggota moved towards a chair. A shirtless, blue-skinned Chiss lounged on a couch, a pair of fair-haired human slave girls curled at his sides, alike enough to be twins. Another Trandoshan stood behind the couch, his green-scaled face impassive. The Chiss' red eyes glowed in the dim room, which was furnished with couches and plush chairs, with tiny tables beside them. Viggota chose a couch opposite the man and pushed Rian down to sit by his feet. Jorgan melted into the shadows behind him. In his all-black outfit, he was nearly invisible. Rian felt the Chiss' eyes on her and leaned against Viggota's leg, stroking his calf with one hand. The muscles there were as tight as iron but he didn't acknowledge her at all.

"Thanks for your hospitality," Viggota said. "This is much nicer than the rest of this dump."

"I am Maroc," the Chiss said. "I am honoured to welcome you..." He trailed off, waiting for Viggota to provide a name.

"Viggota," he said, leaning back in his chair and crossing one leg over the other. Rian wasn't sure it was the best idea to be giving his real name, but they hadn't had the time for airtight cover identities. Hopefully Kixi's work would stand up to scrutiny if Maroc decided to look them up.

"If this place isn't to your liking, why are you here?" The Chiss leaned back as well, absently stroking the hair of the woman on his left.

"I was here to conduct business, but it looks like I've been stood up," Viggota's voice was displeased. Rian was sure it was at the display across from him, but it worked with his cover story as well.

"What sort of business?" Maroc asked. His voice was casual, but his eyes alert.

Viggota's voice tightened just a fraction. "The kind that stays between the parties involved."

"You can't blame a man for asking," Maroc said with a low laugh and tapped one of his slaves on the shoulder. "Fetch refreshments for our guests." She stood quickly and vanished into a doorway in the back of the dimly lit room, with Maroc watching her wolfishly as she went. She was wearing about the same amount of clothing as the serving girl in the cantina, a band of nearly translucent fabric around her breasts and another around her hips, as well as the ever-present slave collar.

"We could have gotten refreshments out there," Viggota said, jerking his head towards the door. "You must have had another reason to send your woman for us." Rian bit back a surprised noise. She knew that Viggota wasn't one to bandy words, but she hoped he didn't insult their host. It seemed likely that he was connected to the slave auctions in the back room, and he might be their best way in.

"You are a direct man, Viggota," Maroc said, eyes narrowing. "It is refreshing." He leaned back on the couch, pulling the other slave onto his lap and sliding his hands along her legs. The woman arched against him in a clearly practiced move but kept her eyes downcast. "I wanted to take your measure. It is one thing to hear tales of your exploits with common thugs, but I am always interested in finding unique individuals to deal with and I wished to see if you were worth my time."

"And what have you learned?" Viggota asked. Rian heard the clink of her chain moving as his fingers tightened. She shifted against him to cover the movement, laying her head on his thigh.

"I have learned that you are very direct. Like I said, refreshing." Maroc paused as his slave returned with a tray. She knelt to serve Viggota first, ignoring Rian and Jorgan. Rian could smell strong spirits, possibly some kind of whiskey. Maroc watched the woman slink across the room towards him and kneel at his feet but he made no move to take the drink from her tray.

"So I'm direct," Viggota said, setting his glass on the table beside him without taking a sip. Rian approved, since she wasn't sure she trusted that it was safe to drink. "I haven't learned anything about myself that I didn't already know. What does being direct gain me here?"

"From some people, a knife in the dark," Maroc said, holding up a hand quickly when Viggota and Jorgan both tensed. "Not a threat. A warning. Not everyone here would find your directness refreshing. You should be more cautious. Is this how you conduct all your business dealings?"

Viggota relaxed with some effort. "If you wanted to discuss business, you should have asked."

"Then I will share your directness." Maroc leaned back, still ignoring the woman and her tray, his fingers slipping higher on the other slave's thighs. She closed her eyes and turned her face away and Rian fought down a snarl. She remembered being in that position, skin crawling at the touch but knowing that if she didn't appear to be enjoying she would get worse treatment. "I represent a consortium of buyers that deal in slaves. We are always looking for interested investors and dealers. Your Twi'lek, for example, would fetch a good price. She is quite lovely and appears well-trained."

"She's not for sale," Viggota said, and Rian could feel the effort it cost him to keep his voice casual in the tension of the muscles under her hand.

Maroc waved him off. "No matter. We have many other fine specimens, if you're interested in a matched set." His hands delved under the band of cloth around his slave's waist. "They do make such pretty bookends, don't they?" Viggota inclined his head, letting Maroc decide what that meant, and Maroc continued. "There is a meeting later. You are, of course, invited. If you are interested."

Rian could feel Viggota's sudden tension in the leg she was leaning against, though he managed to stay looking relaxed. "You have my attention."


	5. Chapter 5

TW: Canon-typical slavery.

* * *

The next half hour couldn't go fast enough for Rian. She kept herself pressed against Viggota while he made stilted small talk with their host, trying to ignore the sounds coming from Maroc's slave as the man's fingers moved across her body. She wished she had a helmet to hide her face like Jorgan but instead found herself falling back into the expressionless mask that she had perfected during her slave days. It didn't bring up very pleasant memories, but at least it kept her disgust from showing.

At last, Maroc pushed his slave aside and stood. "The meeting is starting shortly. I shall escort you." He held out his arms, letting his slaves put a shirt on him, but he batted them away when they tried to fasten it.

Viggota set his untouched glass aside and tugged Rian to her feet. He had managed to keep finding excuses to set it down rather than sipping at it as he and Maroc had talked, using his free hand to gesture while keeping a hold of Rian's chain with the other. She fell in behind Viggota as Maroc led them out of his private room and back into the noise and bustle of the cantina. She peered out from behind his broad shoulder as they crossed the large room and noticed a slow drift of people towards a door in the far corner. Nearly all of them led at least one slave girl, and most of them were shadowed by bodyguards. They were all male.

Maroc paused beside a hallway leading out of the cantina, reaching out to shake hands with a tall Human man with long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck and tan skin. He had a bodyguard at his back but wasn't leading a slave - at the moment, at least. "Ah, Welland!" Maroc said genially. "Please let me introduce you to Viggota. He's interested in doing business with us."

Welland raked his sharp gaze over Viggota, assessing Rian and Jorgan with a practiced eye, and held out his hand. "A pleasure. It's always good to meet new people in our line of work."

Viggota clasped his hand briefly. "I'm always on the lookout for new opportunities."

"Come on," Welland said to Maroc, including Viggota with a wave of his hand. "We're about to get started."

Rian trailed along behind Viggota as he followed the slavers, with Jorgan on her heels. A short hallway led to a pair of gaudily decorated doors that stood open to a large, opulent room. Shimmersilk curtains hung from the high ceiling, sectioning off small nooks along the walls. Rian could hear the sounds of sex from the nearest alcove. Cushions and low couches were grouped artfully around the room and low, diffuse lighting shone from flat plates set into the walls. Soft music didn't quite cover the heavy bass beat from the cantina, but it was quiet enough for private conversation here. Scantily clad slave girls circulated with trays of food and drink and men stood talking in loose clusters, most of them with slaves or bodyguards standing behind them.

"Make yourself comfortable," Welland told Maroc and Viggota. "I'll go make sure everything is on schedule."

Maroc moved deeper into the room, calling enthusiastic greetings to a few of the other slavers. He'd been drinking steadily during his conversation with Viggota, but Rian didn't think he had had enough to be drunk yet. Either he had been indulging before he had invited them to join him, or he was playing it up for some reason. Maybe he thought the others would underestimate him if they thought he was drunk. It was a good tactic, and one that Rian herself had employed on more than one occasion.

Viggota lagged behind, looking around the room as if curious, but Rian knew that he was cataloguing exits. Besides the one behind them that led back to the cantina, there was only one other visible door, closed and guarded. Welland disappeared through it, and Rian suspected that was where the slaves were being kept, and where the auction would be, if it wasn't going to be held in this room. It wouldn't surprise her if more exits were hidden by the silk curtains, but they couldn't exactly start poking through the hangings to check.

Viggota accepted a drink from one of the slaves circling the room, but held it loosely in his hand rather than drinking it. Behind him, Jorgan shifted slightly, trying to watch the whole room without being too obvious about it. Rian stayed close enough to Viggota that she could feel the warmth of his body against her skin. She hoped that the slavers here wouldn't feel entitled to touch her, but she knew that Viggota would be quick to jump to her defense if anyone tried to.

Across the room, Welland reappeared. He tapped a device in his hand and the lights dimmed and brightened twice. The soft murmur of conversation stopped, and Rian could sense anticipation in the crowd as they turned towards the door. Welland tucked the device into his pocket and took a glass from the tray of the nearest slave as everyone moved closer.

"Good evening, everyone," Welland said, smiling around at the assembled slavers. "It's good to see you again. And to our new guests, it's good to meet you." He lifted his glass to toast Viggota and a pair of Rodians to his left. "I won't take up too much of your time, as I know you're eager to get to business. If you'll please follow me?"

Unlike the slow drift through the cantina, this time the slavers were excited to get moving and there was a bit of a delay as nearly two dozen of them, their slaves, and their bodyguards funnelled through the doorway. Viggota hung back, letting them go ahead of him.

The next room was bare of ornamentation, a sharp contrast to the luxury they had just left. Several rows of chairs were set up facing a darkened window along one long wall and the slavers settled themselves in, talking animatedly. The lingering bass beat from the cantina disappeared as the door slid shut, meaning this space was well soundproofed.

There weren't enough chairs for everyone, so most of the bodyguards found space to stand against the back wall, eyeing each other carefully. Jorgan wasn't the only one with his face covered, but he was definitely in the minority. Most of the bodyguards were bigger than him - the slavers seemed to favour larger races like the Trandoshans that Maroc employed - but Rian had confidence that the Cathar could probably hold his own against any of them.

Viggota found a seat on the edge of the back row, nearest the door, and Rian knelt at his side in response to the soft tug on her chain. Once all the slavers had found seats, Welland stood up beside the window, rapping his knuckles on the glass to draw everyone's attention. "Thank you for coming. If you are interested in making a purchase, please make note of the lot number and come to see me afterwards. I will take the names of all interested parties before making the sale so there's no rush." He smiled and snapped his fingers theatrically and the lights came up in the room behind him.

The slavers all leaned forward eagerly. The room was completely bare of furniture or decoration. A dozen young women - girls, really - huddled together against the far wall. Most of them were crying, and they all looked terrified. Rian scanned the group as covertly as she could manage, recognizing the three girls that had been kidnapped from the Promenade. They were clutching at each other, eyes wide in terror and faces streaked with tears. They were among the older ones in the group - some of the others were only a little older than Rian had been when she was taken - and she had to bite down on the inside of her cheek to keep herself focused.

A pair of pale-skinned, vicious-looking Rattataki men took turns prying girls out of the huddled group and parading them in front of the window as Welland extolled their virtues. Rian's stomach churned and she tried to not listen to his words, though the crowd of slavers around her were reacting appreciatively. The girls were wearing short white tunics that barely covered them decently, but they were forced to remove them and turn in place to give the slavers a good look. The second girl, a dainty Cathar, tried to refuse and one of the Rattataki hit a button on the control box he carried at his belt. The shock collar that was clamped to the back of her neck sparked and she collapsed to the ground in a twitching heap. The guards tore the tunic off of her, held her up in front of the window for the slavers to see, and dropped her unceremoniously against the far wall where she lay weeping and shivering. Rian ducked her head and gritted her teeth, and Viggota's hand around her chain was fisted so tightly that his knuckles were white.

The whole display couldn't have lasted more than half an hour, though it felt much longer. Rian's fingers ached from being pressed tightly to her thighs to keep her from balling her hands into fists. Finally, though, the lights were switched off to hide the girls from view and the slavers started to drift back to the other room. Viggota was one of the first ones out of the room, Jorgan quick on his heels.

There was a muscle jumping along Viggota's jaw and Rian brushed her fingers against the back of his hand to get his attention. "Relax," she murmured as quietly as she could. "You've done fine so far. We know they're here now. We just need to figure out how to get them out." Viggota nodded but didn't respond as the other slavers spilled back into the main room, some talking among themselves, others making notes on datapads or speaking quietly into communicators.

Maroc came up behind them, slapping Viggota companionably on the shoulder. "Viggota!" He gestured expansively. He seemed even more drunk than he had earlier, and Rian was sure now that it was a ruse. "Did you see anything you liked? I thought you might be taken by that Cathar kitten. It looks like she's a fighter. I like that sort. They're so fun to break." He grinned wolfishly at Viggota, who offered him a tight smile back.

"Would I tell you if I was?" he asked, his voice tightly controlled. "You'd just start a bidding war."

Maroc chuckled and smacked a hand on Viggota's shoulder again. "We've only just met and you already know me so well," he said. "What if I gave you my word not to bid on her, if you promise me that last girl? She is enough like my bookends that a little surgery would give me a third matching piece."

Viggota shrugged his shoulders, dislodging Maroc's hand and flashing his teeth in an expression that wasn't quite a smile. "Not my type, friend. You're welcome to try your luck."

The gathering had a different feel now, with knots of slavers discussing business in low tones, and a slow parade of men visiting Welland where he had set himself up at a table in the corner. Viggota pushed Rian back into one of the curtained alcoves for some privacy and pulled a communicator from his pocket. He tucked it into his ear and sat down on the low couch in the corner. Rian perched on his knee and began whimpering softly and moaning occasionally. Viggota gave her an unimpressed look but she just stuck her tongue out at him. His answering grin surprised her and she squeaked as he retaliated by poking her in the ribs.

"Sorry," he muttered into the communicator. "Trying not to break our cover." Rian couldn't hear Lomning's reply but it made Viggota grin again. "Have you found a way in yet?" He paused, listening, and Rian leaned around to moan into the microphone, grinning as she imagined Lomning rolling his eyes. She couldn't hear the Jedi's half of the conversation and Viggota didn't say much to make sure he wasn't overheard. It was only a few minutes before he pulled the comm stud from his ear and tucked it away.

Rian went to stand up but Viggota caught her hand quickly. "Lomning found a delivery dock behind the building," he murmured in her ear. "He thinks it might connect to the room where the girls are being held. We might be able to get them out through there."

She nodded and leaned into him, giving herself a moment to close her eyes and just breathe. She was so tense that a headache was starting at to throb at the base of her _lekku_. "Thank you," she whispered. He squeezed her hand gently before letting her go. She stood up and rearranged her clothes into artful disarray and rubbed her lips to smear her lipstick slightly, smudging some of the blue paint just below Viggota's ear. She unfastened the top two buttons on his shirt and pulled him to his feet.

Jorgan was waiting just outside the alcove, standing with his arms crossed stiffly over his chest. Rian bit back a slightly hysterical giggle when she realized that he - and Corso and Xirra back at the ship - had probably been listening in on Lomning and Viggota's conversation, and Rian's sound effects. Hopefully she hadn't scandalized anyone too badly.

There was still a long line at Welland's table but Viggota ignored it and paused next to Jorgan. "We're done here," he said, keeping his voice low. The Cathar nodded and turned to lead the way towards the exit. Rian fell in behind Viggota just as a green-skinned Twi'lek woman in pale blue slave guard came hurrying out of one of the curtained alcoves and crashed right into her. They fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, the slave collar biting hard into the back of Rian's neck before her momentum jerked the chain out of Viggota's hand.

The green-skinned Twi'lek scrambled to her feet, looking horrified. She plucked ineffectually at Rian's hands and wrists, hindering more than helping as she babbled apologies almost too quickly to follow. Her Basic was more heavily accented than Rian's, holding a strong trace of a Huttese accent. "I'm sorry! So sorry! I didn't mean to run into you!" She cringed back from Viggota when he took a step forward and reached down to grasp Rian's hand and haul her to her feet. "Please, I'm sorry!"

"Vette!" A sharp voice made the Twi'lek look up quickly and then drop her eyes hastily. Rian risked a glance up to see a tall, slender woman framed in the entrance to the alcove. Her face was veiled and she wore a black dress that hugged her curves to her hips and fell loose to her ankles. Long sleeves and matching gloves decorated with gold lace meant that she had no visible skin. A black cloak with a deep red lining billowed around her, the hood pulled up to cover her head. Rian knew she hadn't missed this imperious woman in the crowd earlier, so she must be a new arrival. She was glad her role meant she had to keep her gaze lowered. She could practically see the power rolling off the woman and her skin prickled uncomfortably. Even without a Force-sensitive bone in her body she could tell that this was a Sith.

Viggota stepped in front of Rian, and she could see the tension in his neck and shoulders. Behind her, Jorgan shifted closer but he didn't seem to know what to do. "I apologize," the veiled woman said in a cultured Imperial accent. "Vette is mine. I will make any reparations you feel necessary."

"No harm done," Viggota said coolly, and Rian was amazed that he could keep his voice so calm. He turned to reach for the dangling end of her chain, flicking a quick glance at her as he did. She ducked her head in a nod. She was okay, but she would be better if they could get away from this Sith.

"You are a gentleman," the Sith said, inclining her head to Viggota. "I am grateful for your tolerance." She turned her head to the side, where the green-skinned Twi'lek was hunched in on herself with her head down. "Come along, Vette. This fine gentleman may not feel you need it, but I'm sure some additional instruction would not go amiss."

Viggota stood his ground as the Sith strode past them and towards the exit, the Twi'lek trailing meekly in her wake. He let out a slow deep breath and turned to face Rian. She let him check her over, grateful that he remembered his role enough to keep it quick and impersonal, a man making sure his belongings hadn't been damaged, not a friend making sure she was all right. She was shaken up, as much by the encounter with the Sith as from the collision, but she wasn't hurt. "Come on," Viggota said, turning towards the exit and jerking his head at Jorgan to follow.

The Sith had disappeared into the crowd by the time they reached the main room of the cantina and Rian breathed a sigh of relief. Viggota turned to Jorgan as soon as they were out of earshot of the guards at the door. "Tell Lomning we have another problem. That was a Sith." Jorgan's head jerked up in surprise but Rian heard the comm channel click on in his helmet.

"Surely you aren't leaving already?" cried Maroc suddenly from behind them, throwing an arm over Viggota's shoulder and leering at Rian. Viggota stiffened, stepping out from under the man's arm. Bereft of his support, the Chiss staggered and nearly fell. "But you haven't even placed a bid!" he said, steadying himself on one of his slaves.

Viggota sniffed, looking down his nose at the shorter man. Rian wasn't sure if Jorgan had been able to get a message through to Lomning or if he was waiting for the Chiss to leave. "I've seen better. There was nothing there that interested me."

"Oh come now. That can't be true!" the man said, shaking a finger more or less in Viggota's direction. "I saw your reaction to that pretty little kitten. Why, you could hardly contain yourself long enough to find some privacy before you had to take your Twi'lek slut." He grinned at Rian, waggling his eyebrows at her. Viggota frowned and she could see Jorgan shifting closer out of the corner of her eye. Maroc noticed the movement too and suddenly he didn't see quite so drunk. "Is this part of your plan?" he asked with a predatory grin. "To start a fight in the middle of the cantina? I thought it was to find the back door and free those pretty little girls before we can despoil them."

Rian's blood turned to ice. He must have overheard them, though she wasn't sure how. Jorgan had been standing guard outside and wouldn't have let anyone close. There must have been a bug in the room, or Viggota's communication with Lomning had been intercepted. She didn't know if Maroc was working on his own or with Welland, but now that their cover was blown she knew they would have to act fast before the Exchange started to move the slaves.

Viggota tilted his head to the side, catching her eye, and she dipped her chin in the slightest nod. It was all the signal he needed. He dropped her chain and went for his blaster but Jorgan was more direct and tackled the Chiss to the ground as the man was reaching for his own weapon. Maroc's slaves shrieked and fled, and Rian grabbed for the handle of her chain, hitting the hidden latch to bare the tiny knife. She would have really liked to have taken the blasted thing off, but a weapon was a weapon. She knew that one of the blasters on Jorgan's hips was probably intended for her, but she wasn't about to dive into the melee to try to grab it.

The nearest cantina patrons were starting to crowd in close, drawn by the prospect of a spectacle, but when Viggota unloaded a blaster bolt into the ceiling, showering sparks over the dance floor, they panicked and turned to flee. The ripple flowed through the crowd and soon everyone was stampeding towards the exit. "Everyone out!" Viggota shouted, gesturing for Rian to get behind him. She ignored him and dashed into the crowd. She could see the cantina's bouncers trying to force their way closer and she wanted to deal with them before the crowd cleared. Welland's guards were already reaching for their weapons. They didn't need to be fighting on two fronts.

The bouncers ignored her completely, not seeing a Twi'lek slave as a threat. Two of them fell with well-placed stabs of her tiny knife before the third even noticed and by then it was far too late. She grabbed the back of his collar and yanked him off balance, jamming the knife up under his jaw before he could react. Blood gushed hot and slick over her hand as he fell. His blaster skittered away across the floor and Rian quickly dove for it. Her bloody hand closed around the grip just as she sensed movement behind her. She spun, pushing herself up to one knee and found herself staring down the barrel at a Sith Lord.

The woman still wore her veil, the yellow glow of her lightsaber doing nothing to illuminate her face as she looked down at Rian. Rian swallowed convulsively, tightening her grip on the unfamiliar pistol. She wondered if she could get a shot off before the Sith could strike. She didn't like her chances.

"Vris!" a voice yelled, drawing the Sith's attention away for a moment. Rian took the opportunity and squeezed off a quick shot, then threw herself backwards. The Sith looked back just in time to deflect the bolt with the blade of her lightsaber, splattering it harmlessly against the durasteel floor. She took a swing but Rian was already out of range, rolling to her feet with her blaster levelled as she backpedalled hastily. The Sith snapped out her free hand towards Rian and flung her across the room to crash into the far wall of the cantina.

The impact knocked the wind out of her and she landed in a tangle of overturned chairs and tables when she fell. Pain jolted through her and she gritted her teeth to keep from crying out. At least she had hung on to the blaster, though she didn't know how much good it would do against a Sith. She pushed herself up with her free hand to take stock of her injuries. She thought she had probably cracked some ribs, and her right ankle throbbed painfully. Hopefully only sprained, but she wouldn't be doing any running any time soon.

Across the cantina, she was relieved to see Lomning facing off against the Sith. Jorgan must have gotten the message through to him. The woman's elegant gown made a strange counterpoint to Lomning's shabby disguise but there was no mistaking Lomning for anything other than a Jedi. The air between them fairly crackled with power as the Sith tried to move towards him. She was making slow progress, as if she was walking into a strong wind, but her cloak barely fluttered behind her. One of Lomning's hands was outstretched, directing the Force to hold the Sith back but the other was clenched at his side and he was straining.

Viggota had taken refuge behind an overturned table and was peppering the doorway of the meeting room with bolts to keep the slavers pinned inside. Jorgan had finished off Maroc, though the Cathar's right arm was hanging awkwardly against his side. Rian couldn't tell from this distance if Maroc was injured or dead, and she couldn't bring herself to care. Jorgan drew one of his blasters with his left hand and started stalking towards the Sith's green Twi'lek slave. The woman was more focused on her master than the blaster pistol she was holding. Rian knew Jorgan was a good shot, but as she watched him maneuver closer to the other Twi'lek, she realized he probably couldn't shoot as well with his off hand. He'd need to get closer to make sure.

Rian gritted her teeth against the pain and crawled to the nearest overturned table to give herself some cover. She didn't have a good shot at the green Twi'lek, but she could certainly distract her to let Jorgan get closer. The other woman heard the whine of her blaster and ducked out of the way, taking cover behind the bar with a startled yell.

"Vette!" the Sith shouted, risking a glance behind her.

"I'm all right!" the woman called back, catching sight of Rian and taking a shot that went wide but was enough to force her back into cover. Even in the middle of a firefight Rian couldn't help but notice that the other Twi'lek's Huttese accent was completely gone. "You pay attention to what you're doing!" she shouted as Lomning used the momentary distraction to use the Force to throw a chair at the Sith's head. She deflected it with some difficulty and focused her attention back on her opponent.

Rian ducked again as Vette took a few shots at her. She fired back to keep the woman occupied, though pain was making her aim shaky. She wondered what was taking Jorgan so long and risked a glance in his direction to see that he had changed targets and was now creeping towards the Sith, probably hoping the fight with Lomning would keep her distracted enough that he could get the drop on her. Lomning was clearly losing the battle as the woman made her way slowly towards the Jedi, and he looked like he could use some help.

The firefight to her left was intensifying and she glanced over just in time to see Viggota take a shot to the shoulder but he gritted his teeth and kept shooting. The bodyguards in the doorway didn't seem to be trying to push forward and Rian realized they were probably buying time for their masters to get out the back of the cantina. "Vig!" Rian shouted, the effort making her ribs ache and black spots dance in front of her eyes. "We've got to get moving or we'll be too late to help those kids." Viggota hollered acknowledgment and Rian heard a startled noise from the Twi'lek woman.

"Vris?" the green Twi'lek called back over her shoulder. "Vris, stop! I think they're on our side!"

Rian was so surprised that she knelt up to stare at the woman in disbelief. Thankfully, the Twi'lek's attention was focused on the Sith. Lomning was still standing strong, though the Sith had closed the gap between them.

"I'm a little busy, Vette," the Sith muttered through gritted teeth.

"Stop!" Vette stood up suddenly, holding her hands out, her blaster dangling loosely from her fingers. "Vris, they're trying to help those girls!" Vette turned to look at Rian. "Am I wrong?"

Rian didn't think this was a trap. Vette seemed sincere, and there was clearly more going on here than she knew. She grasped the edge of the table and hauled herself up to balance on one leg, hiding her grimace of pain with some difficulty. She felt very exposed as she dropped her blaster down to her side. "Truce? We can use all the help we can get right now." Vette nodded and Rian made her decision. "Jorgan, Lomning, stand down. We'll work with them."

Jorgan actually flipped up the visor of his helmet to give her a look of pure disbelief. He was only a few feet from the Sith, crouched behind another overturned table, and Vette looked unpleasantly surprised when she finally noticed him. "Are you sure, Captain?" the Cathar growled and she nodded although she was anything but. She hoped this decision didn't come back to bite them. Jorgan looked over at Viggota, who was still pinned down behind the table and clearly favouring his injured shoulder, though the light body armour under his jacket had kept him from being too badly hurt. Viggota nodded, and Jorgan's instinct to obey seemed to kick in at his former CO's agreement. "If you say so," he replied, snapping his faceplate back down and turning his blaster somewhat reluctantly on the slavers instead. She noticed that he backed away carefully, never turning his back on the Sith.

Lomning and the Sith eyed each other cautiously. "Are we willing to trust that our friends may actually know what they are talking about?" Lomning asked the woman.

The Sith chuckled quietly, the sound surprisingly warm. "I would trust my life to Vette," she replied, straightening up slightly. "Truce." Lomning nodded and stillness descended between them, so sudden that Rian's ears popped as if she had just entered planetary atmosphere.

"I'm glad everyone's getting along," Viggota hollered, taking out a dark-skinned Zabrak that had leaned too far out from the doorway. "Now can I get some help over here?"

To their credit, Vette and the Sith didn't even hesitate. The Twi'lek turned her blaster on the doorway and started firing immediately. Another bodyguard fell, but he was quickly shoved out of the way as more men pushed forward to take his place. Getting through that door would be suicide.

The Sith took a much more direct track. She stretched out her hand and one of the heavy sabacc tables along the far wall rocked, then jerked up into the air. It flew across the room and slammed up sideways against the doorway, blocking it completely. There were shouts as the bodyguards tried to move it, but the Sith stood firm and held it in place. Rian was fairly certain at least one man had been crushed by the heavy table, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

The fight over for the moment, Rian gritted her teeth and eased down to her knees again to get her weight off her ankle, even though the movement jarred her ribs. There was no room in her dancer's costume to hide a kolto pack but she definitely could have used one. She looked up at the sound of footsteps to see Jorgan approaching, his faceplate up and a look of concern on his face even as he divided his attention between her and the Sith. His right arm was still hanging limp at his side but he made no move to holster his blaster, though he did keep it pointed at the floor. "You all right?" he asked once he was close enough to talk without being overheard.

She exhaled shakily. "More or less. You?"

"I'll survive." He glanced from her to the Sith and back again, frowning when he realized Rian wasn't getting up. "Need help?" he asked. She nodded, but he hesitated before holstering his blaster and offering her his hand. She reached up with her clean hand to let him pull her to her feet and braced herself against his shoulder. The pain was starting to overwhelm the adrenaline and she wasn't sure she could stand without help. "Where are you hurt?" he asked, pausing before touching her. "Is any of that blood yours?"

"Nope. But I think I've cracked my ankle and some ribs. How's your arm?" She kept an eye on the Sith, who had divided her focus between holding the sabacc table in place and checking Vette over. The Twi'lek had most of her attention on the Sith but she caught Rian's eye and offered a tentative smile.

Jorgan followed Rian's gaze and scowled darkly. "Dislocated shoulder." He curled his good arm cautiously around her hip and helped her the few steps to a nearby chair, looking worried at her shallow, pained breathing. He levered the chair upright with his foot and eased her carefully into it. "Keep an eye on them. I'll get Lomning." The Jedi was crouched beside Viggota, both hands pressed to the man's injured shoulder. Rian could see Viggota relax as a shimmer of golden energy wrapped around Lomning's hands and flowed out to heal the injury. Jorgan was careful to keep the Sith in sight at all times as he crossed the cantina, and Rian couldn't exactly blame him. Even though the woman was hopefully an ally at the moment, it didn't change the fact that she was a Sith.

The blood on her hands and arms was starting to dry and itch, and it reminded her about the small knife still sticking out of the handle of the fake slave collar. She was surprised she hadn't stabbed herself on it during the fighting. She cleaned it as best she could on her dancer's costume, which was already covered in blood and was probably a lost cause, before sheathing it. She fumbled with the skin-warmed metal of the collar until she found the hidden catch and yanked it off when it clicked open. She very much wanted to throw it across the room, but her ribs wouldn't thank her for that. And she assumed Jorgan would need to return it to his SIS friend and they wouldn't appreciate having it damaged. She set it on the table beside her and rubbed her shaking fingers against her leg. She wished she was wearing more than her dancer's costume, but she definitely felt better with that off.

She watched as Lomning finished healing Viggota and turned his attention to Jorgan. He needed Viggota's help to pop Jorgan's shoulder back into place and she could hear the Cathar's pained grunt from across the cantina. He tilted his head towards her and Lomning nodded, finally making his way over to her.

"Are you all right, Rian?" the Jedi asked as he knelt smoothly in front of her. She couldn't help but notice that he didn't seem to have a problem with turning his back to the Sith.

"Been better." She gasped as he rested his hands on her shoulders, warmth flowing through her and chasing away every bit of pain. She exhaled slowly and smiled at him. "Thanks, Jedi," she said as he helped her to her feet. Viggota and Jorgan had joined them, and Viggota passed her a handful of crumpled napkins to clean off the blood off her hands as well as she could without soap and water. It was still streaked and spattered across the rest of her skin but there wasn't much she could do about it at the moment.

Jorgan handed her a communicator stud from his pocket and she tucked it into her ear. "Riggs, you there?"

"Captain!" the relief in Corso's voice was palpable. "You okay? Jorgan said you were hurt."

"Good as new," she told him. "Lomning patched me up."

He exhaled forcefully. "I feel like I should be there."

She shook her head, watching Jorgan tuck the slave collar into his pocket. She felt better with it out of sight. "I need you to stay with the ship," she said told Corso. "I don't know if anyone's going to try to track us down after this little stunt, but I don't want the _Event Horizon_ undefended right now just in case."

Corso made a frustrated noise but sighed. "I know, Captain. I just wish I could be in two places at once."

She chuckled quietly. "And I'd sure appreciate having you and Torchy here too," she said. "But I trust you to keep my ship safe."

"Thanks, Captain. That means a lot." Rian could hear Xirra's lighter voice in the background but she was too far away from the mic. "Xirra says to be careful," Corso said. "And to keep the channel open, in case there's anything we can do."

"Will do," Rian said, feeling a fond warmth uncurl in her chest. Corso would make a good captain himself someday, though she hoped that wouldn't be any time soon. She was enjoying having a proper first mate. She dialled the volume down on the earpiece though she didn't turn it all the way off in case Corso needed to get in touch with her.

"Ready?" Viggota inquired and she nodded. "Then let's go." He turned to study their unlikely allies, then strode towards them. "I'm Viggota," he said, then pointed to each of the others. "This is Jorgan, Lomning, and Rian. Lomning found a loading dock out back that seems to lead to that back room," he said, jerking his chin towards the doorway that Vris had so easily blocked off. "We're going to try to get the girls out that way."

The Sith paused, her head coming up in surprise, then laughed. Rian blinked, not having expected that reaction at all. The Sith reached up and pulled off her veil to show the horns and tattooed red skin of a Zabrak. She had long dark hair, pulled back in a tight braid to keep it out of her face. "We were not supposed to meet yet, but I suppose this is fortuitous," she said. "I am Kevrisa, and this is Vette."

Lomning chuckled, stepping forward and bowing to the woman. "We did not even know you were already on Nar Shaddaa," he told her. "We definitely were not expecting to meet you here."

Kevrisa smiled as she returned Lomning's bow, amusement plain on her face. "At least we have learned already that we can be allies."

Jorgan snorted quietly at Rian's shoulder, and she elbowed him inconspicuously in the ribs. "Be polite," she muttered to him, glad that they were far enough away that the Sith hopefully hadn't heard. "And give me that other blaster." The Cathar unclipped it from his hip and handed it over without argument and followed at her heels as she crossed the room to join the others. "They've stopped trying to move that table," Rian pointed out. "We need to move, or they'll all be long gone. We can chat later."

Kevrisa gave Rian an appraising look and nodded before turning to the Jedi. "Lead on, Master Lomning."

The Jedi led the way back outside the cantina, his lightsaber bright in his hand. The streets outside were nearly deserted, and the sudden appearance of two Force-users scattered the rest of them into the shadows. There was an alley running the side of the building, just barely wide enough for an airspeeder but clogged with debris. Rian wrinkled her nose at the foul smell.

Jorgan stopped beside her as Lomning and Kevrisa peered into the darkened alley. "Stay behind me," he murmured quietly, turning to look at her. "I know you can take care of yourself," he added quickly before she could protest. "But you're not wearing any armour. So just try to hang back a bit, okay?"

He looked so worried that she was nodding before she could really think about it. "Just this once," she told him. He did have a point, after all, even if none of them were as heavily armoured as they were used to. He nodded and snapped his faceplate shut. As she followed him into the alley, she wondered how much of his concern was for her lack of armour, and how much was because of the Sith ahead of them.


	6. Chapter 6

TW: Canon-typical slavery.

* * *

Kevrisa led the way into the alley, Vette right on her heels. The Sith had given the green Twi'lek her hooded cloak and Vette moved with careful ease, her dancer's sandals soundless on the filthy durasteel, the hem of Kevrisa's long cloak dragging on the ground behind her. Lomning stayed close to them but Rian wasn't sure if it was to keep an eye on the Sith, or to be a barrier between her and Jorgan.

Rian brought up the rear, keeping an eye on the mouth of the alley behind them. The street was still empty, but she didn't want to risk anyone coming up behind them. Viggota dropped back to walk beside her and shrugged out of his jacket, leaving him just in his fine white shirt and the light body armour beneath it. He passed it over and she traded her blasters with him so she could pull it on. It was much too big and she was sure she looked ridiculous, but it was warm from his body and she felt better with it on.

She was unsurprised when he reached up to flick off his communicator. This wasn't exactly the best time to talk, but she had figured it would be coming sooner or later. "You doing okay?" he asked as she fastened the jacket and rolled the sleeves up so that her hands were free.

She tapped off her communicator too. She didn't need Corso and Xirra to overhear this. "Hanging in there," she replied quietly, keeping an eye on the rest of her crew up ahead of her. "I'll be much better if we can get those girls out."

"Me too," Viggota said, letting out a long breath. "I just wanted to check that we're okay, you and me."

She looked up at him and gave him a quick smile. "Yeah, don't worry about it. Really, Vig. It was the best plan we could come up with on short notice."

"You're sure?" he asked. He looked up at the others just as Jorgan turned his helmeted head to look back at them. He gave the Cathar a reassuring nod and Jorgan hesitated a long moment before he shifted his attention back to the Sith. Viggota lowered his voice further. "Look, I didn't know you had been a slave, Rian. I wouldn't have suggested this if I'd known."

Rian sighed and turned to face him. "Vig, I'm okay. It wasn't a lot of fun, but I survived it, and I know it was to help those kids. Nothing you did made me feel unsafe, and as soon as I'm back at the ship and wearing real clothes again, I'll be fine."

He offered her a tentative smile and she smiled back. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure, Vig. Trust me." He still had a smudge of blue lipstick under his ear and she reached up to wipe it away before turning her communicator back on. It had been an unpleasant evening and had brought up a lot of memories she would have rather left buried. It would take her some time to stuff everything back into the box in the back of her mind, but she had years of practice with that. She would be fine.

He seemed surprised that she had touched him, but his return smile was more genuine as he handed her blasters back over, and she relaxed a little. She hoped that this didn't affect things between them. It was something she hadn't even considered when they had been planning this. She had been thinking more of how she would handle the situation, not how the others would react. She didn't want them to start treating her like she was fragile, or broken. She had lost friends over this before, people who couldn't reconcile her past with her present. And on one memorable occasion, a man who thought her past as a pleasure slave meant he should still be entitled to her body. She'd been more guarded about her friendships after that.

The alley made a sharp right turn around the back of the building, and Rian and Viggota hurried catch up before the others vanished around the corner. The alley opened up to landing pad - presumably the loading dock Lomning had mentioned. A long drop fell away to the level below and she could see lines of airspeeder traffic in the distance. A heavy set of double doors were set into the back of the building, open to a storage room stacked with unmarked crates. Rian could see a smaller door inside that must lead into the building. The only sound she could hear was the ever-present hum of the air recyclers and the speeder traffic that flowed constantly through Nar Shaddaa's underlevels.

Kevrisa paused, surveying the empty landing pad and the space beyond. None of the main skylanes seemed to go past this area so it was relatively quiet. "Is this the right place, Jedi?"

Lomning pushed forward and nodded. "Yes. I can sense life beyond the door. Some are agitated, and some are scared. And they are getting closer."

"Maybe they'll open it for us," Vette said, looking around at the others. "Suggestions?"

"Clear the doors," Viggota said decisively. "Let them think they've got way out. Our priority is to get the girls clear of them and that will be easier to do if they're out of the building."

"Keep an eye out for airspeeders," Rian added. "They wouldn't be coming out this way if they didn't have an escape route."

"I will ensure they cannot retreat back into the building," Kevrisa said, moving to a stack of crates near the door that would hide her from the slavers. "If you can draw them out, I will hold here." Viggota nodded and he and Jorgan took up positions on either side of the double doors, out of sight of anyone in the storage room. Vette and Lomning joined Viggota, though Rian noticed that Kevrisa looked uncomfortable when Vette moved out of her sight. Jorgan gestured for Rian to stand behind him but she shook her head and ducked out onto the landing pad instead. There was a recharging station set off to one side that gave her just barely enough cover, and a clear shot through the door. Someone needed to be able to see what was going on.

She had just enough time to get into cover before the door opened. A pair of guards came first, burly men in heavy armour with blasters up and ready as they scanned the landing pad. Rian watched through a tiny gap in the machinery, confident that they couldn't see her from their position. They advanced cautiously, one of them reaching up to tap a comm stud in his ear. She assumed he was signalling for their ride and she shifted to divide her attention between the doors and the sky.

Two more guards followed a moment later, then the girls. Many of them were clinging to each other and weeping openly as they were prodded along by the Rattataki guards Rian had seen at the auction. A handful of slavers and bodyguards followed, but not as many as Rian had expected. There had been many more of them at the sale. Either there was another exit, or this wasn't the first group to leave. She recognized Welland near the back of the group and nodded grimly. At least they had the ringleader.

The last of the group was still in the storage room when the first pair of guards reached the landing pad and spotted the ambush. There was a moment of chaos as Viggota and Jorgan opened fire and then the group shifted back towards the door, only to find their path blocked by an angry Sith and a pair of brilliant yellow lightsabers. The first guard to raise his blaster to Kevrisa lost his hand, and then his head. The rest froze for a moment, which was just enough for the rest of Rian's crew to leap into action.

Lomning ignored the sudden chaos of blaster fire and made a beeline for the terrified girls, who were screaming and cowering away from the guns that the guards levelled at them to keep them from running. The Jedi threw out a blast of Force energy that knocked two of the guards aside and then he was in the middle of the group. "I am a Jedi!" he shouted above the din. "Stay close and I will protect you!" A shimmering dome wrapped around him and the girls, and they flinched away until they realized that blaster fire was bouncing off the shield and then they huddled as close to the Jedi as they could get. Vette ducked behind a stack of crates and joined Rian in picking off guards and slavers one by one as they were distracted by the two soldiers pinning them into the storage room.

Viggota and Jorgan were doing their best to hold the doors, though it was harder than if they had been in their full kits with their heavy guns. Jorgan at least had the benefit of a helmet, but Viggota's light armour left him very exposed. They used the doorframe for cover as best they could, but Rian saw a number of close calls. The longer it took them to finish this fight, the more likely it was that reinforcements would show up.

Deeper in the room Kevrisa fought like she was dancing, her skirt whirling around her. She flicked away blaster bolts with almost contemptuous ease and Rian saw more than one blaster sliced in half when the guards got too close. Welland himself was already down and unmoving, and Rian bared her teeth in a fierce grin. While it might have been a good idea to try to take him alive to find out how far his operation stretched, she couldn't deny that she was glad he was dead.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye as a pair of armoured speeders headed in towards the landing pad at high speed. The drivers must have been pretty confident in their skills to be approaching so fast. "Incoming!" she shouted, turning to bring her blasters to bear on them. She was thankful that the speeders didn't appear to have external guns, and they were large enough that the landing pad would only hold one of them at a time. Hopefully that would work in her favour.

Rian saw the moment the pilot of the lead airspeeder realized that things were going wrong because the speeder suddenly jerked sideways in the air, nearly scraping its nose on the walls of the buildings that bordered the landing pad. It quickly stabilized, though its landing was rougher than the pilot probably intended. The other speeder hovered overhead as the doors on the first speeder hissed open and discharged a pair of guards. Rian was ready for them, and she hit the first man with two shots before he could even step out. He fell back with a cry, knocking down the man behind him as well. Thankfully, they weren't wearing armour or Rian's small blasters wouldn't be powerful enough to take them down.

A third guard climbed out of the far side of the speeder, shooting wildly over the roof. Rian realized he hadn't noticed her yet and took advantage with a clean shot to his head. He tumbled silently off the edge of the platform and into the depths of the Undercity.

She was trying to get a clear shot at the second guard, who was struggling out from under the body of the first, when she heard the click and hiss of a door opening above her. The second speeder was turning sideways, its door opening to show three more guards with blaster rifles. One of them shouted and pointed down at her, but the other two were focused on Viggota and Jorgan. The soldiers were still outside of the storage room and had no cover. The guards' heavier weapons would cut them down in moments.

"Lomning!" Rian shouted, breaking out of cover and racing for the first speeder before the guard could take aim at her. Hopefully the Jedi could shield the others, but she wasn't going to take any chances. She leapt in through the door of the first speeder, kicking the second guard in the stomach as he tried to rise and blasting him in the face as he crumpled to the floor again. The pilot was halfway out of his seat and she shot him before he could lift his blaster. She didn't even bother dragging him out of the way, just dropped her blasters lunged across his body for the controls. The speeder's engines were still running so it could make a quick getaway and it lurched up awkwardly off the landing pad when she jerked hard on the steering yoke.

The speeder slammed into the one above it with a jolt that sent Rian sprawling across the floor and the engines screamed as it tipped sideways and crashed back down to the landing pad. She could see the other speeder through the domed glass roof as the pilot fought to regain control. One of the guards had fallen out of the door and was laying dazed on the landing pad. The other two were still in the speeder but they had lost their rifles and were clinging desperately to any handholds they could find. Rian jumped to her feet and yanked hard on the controls again, crashing into the speeder a second time. Metal screeched as they scraped together and then both of them were falling off the edge of the platform.

She heard a shout in her earpiece but didn't have time to respond as she scrambled desperately against gravity to get into the pilot's chair as the floor tilted up under her feet. The heavy engines were pulling the speeder down tail-first. She wrapped both of her hands around the controls and fought to straighten the speeder out. Alarms were screaming and half the control board was lit up red but she managed it, letting out a slow breath when the speeder came back level in a shaky hover.

The second speeder hadn't been so lucky. She must have damaged either its engines or its pilot when she had rammed it, and it wasn't able to recover. She watched it plummet into the darkness below as she set her speeder heavily back onto the landing pad. She was breathing hard and it took her a moment to unlock her fingers from around the control yoke.

"Rian!" Viggota's voice in her ear finally cut through the adrenaline, and she could hear Corso shouting too, demanding to know what was happening.

"I'm all right," she said, though she knew her voice sounded a little shaky. "What's going on?" She had managed to land sideways and couldn't see the storage room from her position. She pushed to her feet, ignoring the wobble in her knees, and headed for the door.

"We're just mopping things up," Viggota replied, relief stark in his voice. "Don't do that again. I'm not sure I can handle watching it."

"No promises," she said, rubbing her hands briskly over her face and hunting down her blasters before she climbed out onto the landing pad. She didn't want to give away how hard her heart was still pounding after that stunt. She had done some crazy, dangerous things before but that probably ranked right up there with the worst of them.

Vette was making sure of the slavers and their guards when she climbed out of the speeder. Rian approved of the gesture, though she could see Lomning's mostly-hidden flinch at each shot. Behind him, Kevrisa had shoved the bodies aside and closed the door to the cantina and Rian watched as she used one of her lightsabers to burn through the lock. No reinforcements would be coming that way without some serious effort. Rian noticed the Sith gave the terrified girls as wide a berth as she could as she strode out of the storage room to check on Vette. There was definitely no mistaking her for a Jedi, and the girls crowded closer to Lomning as she passed.

"Is everyone all right?" Lomning asked, putting his lightsaber away and turning to the frightened girls. Rian could feel him radiating calm, and the young women relaxed slowly without realizing it. "Is anyone injured?"

Viggota turned to meet Rian as she approached, reaching out and clasping her shoulder and then drawing her into a one-armed hug. "You scared me," he said quietly. "But good work. We'd have been easy targets if you hadn't done anything."

She shook her head and let out a slow breath, relaxing against his broad chest. "I scared myself. I didn't exactly plan for that."

"What happened, Captain?" Corso asked in her ear, still sounding halfway to panic even though she was clearly all right.

"She took out two airspeeders full of armed guards who would have had clear shots at our backs," Jorgan rumbled through the comm channel. "Nearly got herself killed in the process, but somehow managed to come out of it without a scratch."

"Luck," she said, shaking her head. "I can't even pretend that was skill."

"A calculated risk," Viggota countered. He gave her a brief squeeze before he released her. "Thanks."

Rian went to clip her blasters back into place on her hips, grimacing when she remembered what she was wearing. She was able to tuck Jorgan's smaller blaster into the pocket of Viggota's jacket but the cantina bouncers had been carrying bigger weapons and she had to hang on to that one. She caught Vette watching her and the other Twi'lek shrugged helplessly, clearly trying to hold back laughter as she tried the same maneuver. Neither of them had anywhere to put their guns.

Kevrisa caught the movement and followed Vette's gaze and Rian squared her shoulders under Kevrisa's scrutiny. Vette was about her height, but the Sith woman was much taller, nearly as tall as Viggota, and she had to look up to meet her eyes. "Thanks for your help," she said. She could hear Jorgan's hiss of breath in her ear but he didn't say anything.

"I am glad we were able to help each other," Kevrisa said, giving Rian a carefully precise bow.

Vette rolled her eyes and tossed her blaster to Kevrisa, who juggled it a little in surprise before clipping it onto her belt. "Okay, seriously? This is awkward for no reason. I hope you've all figured out by now that no one is going to kill anyone else, so just relax."

Rian laughed, reaching out to clasp hands with Vette. She found herself liking the other Twi'lek almost against her will. She knew nothing about her other than she apparently ran around with a Sith, rescuing kidnapped girls, but she felt like she might have found a kindred spirit. She liked that Vette wasn't willing to let things stay awkward. She and Vette shared a grin, and Kevrisa shifted awkwardly beside them.

"I should apologize," she said suddenly, turning her gaze on Rian. Her eyes were a startling yellow-gold in her red-skinned face. "For the injuries I caused you."

"That's not necessary," Rian said, hiding her surprise at having a Sith apologize to her. "I did shoot at you, after all."

Kevrisa smiled, and Rian found herself smiling back. "That is true. But still."

There was a sudden babble of voices from behind her and Rian spun, fingers tightening instinctively on her blaster. Behind her, Kevrisa and Vette tensed, but it was only the girls, crowding closer around Lomning. They were visibly excited and it didn't take Rian long to see why. Viggota had found the control box for their collars, and Lomning was busy unlocking and removing them. Rian reached up and rubbed at her throat with her free hand, glad that hers was already off.

Vette grimaced, reaching up for her own collar. "Yeah, good plan. Vris, get this thing off of me."

Kevrisa reached out to tangle her fingers with Vette's, pulling the Twi'lek's hand away from the collar. "Here," the Sith said, holding out her other hand. A small control box rested on her palm, and Vette snatched it up eagerly. The collar clicked open and Vette removed it as quickly as she could. Rian caught her eyes flicking towards Rian's bare throat curiously.

"Mine was fake," she told the other Twi'lek. "No locking mechanism."

Vette looked up with interest in her eyes. "Where'd you find that? We were in a hurry; we could only find real ones."

Rian gestured over her shoulder towards Jorgan. "He's got some connections. Apparently Republic Intelligence has noticed that people will say anything in front of a slave girl." Jorgan made a strangled noise of protest in Rian's ear, but Vette just laughed.

"We have noticed that as well," Kevrisa said, taking the collar from Vette and tucking it away. "But we need to find a better solution than this."

"I'm sure you can commission a fake one somewhere," Rian suggested. "Though I'd definitely suggest staying away from anyone who makes real ones. I wouldn't want to line their pockets."

"Neither would I," Kevrisa agreed.

Rian chuckled and tapped her earpiece. A Sith that firmly against slavery? She had heard everything now. She really wondered what the story was with her and Vette, but she wasn't about to ask. "Riggs, we've got them. And if this speeder is still in good enough shape we can drop them off somewhere safe before we head back."

"Sounds good, Captain," Corso replied. "Do you have an ETA?"

"Not yet. I'll keep you posted."

"Where on Nar Shaddaa are you going to drop off a bunch of girls dressed like that and have them stay safe?" Kevrisa asked, shaking her head.

"I know a doctor who works with people in this sort of situation," Rian said. This wasn't the first group of slaves she had rescued, and probably wouldn't be the last. "I can get in touch with her and see if she can help. And I'm sure some of them have families they want to get back to."

Kevrisa nodded thoughtfully. "Then perhaps it is time we took our leave from you, Captain," she said with another bow. "I think my presence will not be welcome."

Rian wasn't sure if she was talking about the girls or Jorgan but she had to agree either way. "Sounds good. Are we still on for our meeting?"

Vette and Kevrisa exchanged a look and Vette shrugged. "Want to move it up to tomorrow? I mean, we're all here already, no sense in waiting."

"I'll check with my crew and let you know," Rian replied. "But I don't see a problem with it. Let me give you my ship's holofrequency so you can get in touch with us without going through the Jedi Council."

"Thank you," the Sith said, handing over her holo unit. Rian programmed her frequency in from memory and read Kevrisa's code to Corso, since Rian wasn't wearing her wrist computer with her dancer's outfit. She handed it back, fighting the urge to laugh. If someone had told her a week ago that she would be exchanging contact information with a Sith Lord, she would have suggested they see a medic. The universe was a strange place.

Kevrisa bowed and Vette offered a jaunty salute before threading her arm with the Sith's as they turned and left. Rian shook her head as she watched them go, then moved to rejoin her crew. "I need to borrow someone's holo," she said. "I've got a friend that can hopefully help but I'll need to get in touch with her."

Viggota offered his without hesitation and Rian perched herself on a handy crate to hunt down the right holofrequency. Anuh Dree ran a low-cost medical clinic in one of the mid-levels of the Undercity, and as such she had a public line available. Rian tapped on it, hoping the call would go through. It was late, but not yet after midnight, and Anuh had always worked long hours.

The static above the holo quickly resolved into the face of a tired-looking Nautolan woman, though she perked up a bit as she recognized her caller. "Rian! I haven't heard from you in ages. Is everything all right?"

"You act like I only ever call you when there's a problem," Rian teased, though it really was true more often than not. "I'm fine, but I need your help again. I've broken up a slave auction and found some girls who need help."

Anuh interrupted before she could say anything more. "Of course. You know my door's always open. Bring them by the clinic." She paused, tilting her head to the side so that the multitude of tendrils on her head slid over her shoulders. "How many? I can make up some beds."

"A dozen. I'm sure some of them just want to get back to their families, but you're better equipped to find them than I am." She could see the girls watching her closely, whispering among themselves. "We can be there in half an hour."

"That sounds good." Anuh leaned back, already eager to get started. "I'll see you then."

Rian cut the channel and handed the holo back to Viggota. "That was a doctor named Anuh Dree," she told the girls. "She'll be able to help you out. She'll have beds available, and anyone who wants to can comm their families to get picked up at her clinic."

"I know her." One of the girls, a young Nautolan, spoke up unexpectedly. "She's my friend's cousin. She helps people a lot."

"That she does," Rian agreed. "Are you all okay with going to her clinic?" The Nautolan nodded immediately but the others were more hesitant to agree. Rian thought it was probably nervousness rather than actual hesitation, but she still offered them another option. "Anyone who doesn't want to go doesn't have to. We can drop you off somewhere else if you'd prefer." None of them spoke up, but she thought Lomning might have a better chance at getting them to talk if they were reluctant. "Let me check over the speeder and we can get moving."

Jorgan moved to join her, leaving Viggota to guard Lomning and the girls, and they climbed into the speeder. Its paint was badly scratched but its armoured panels were still in good shape. There had been a lot of warning lights on the console but hopefully most of those had been due to her using it as a battering ram earlier. It would be big enough for everyone, though they'd have to get cozy.

She let Jorgan take on the unpleasant task of dragging the bodies out of the speeder while she settled into the pilot's chair to check the readouts. Thankfully, blaster burns didn't leave a whole lot of blood behind so there wouldn't be much cleaning up to do. She noticed that he took them out the far side of the vehicle where the girls wouldn't be able to see, and she assumed he dumped them over the edge of the landing platform. She hadn't had a good look down yet, but no one lived directly underneath the skylanes. That was just asking for trouble, even on a normal day. Even aside from malfunctions or crashes, people threw garbage out of their speeders all the time. And she knew this wouldn't be the first time someone on Nar Shaddaa had dumped bodies into the canyons between the buildings.

She heard him climb back into the speeder and he braced one hand on the back of her chair when he came up behind her. "I found these," he said, holding out his other hand to show a stack of credit chips and a cheap portable holo. They were common among criminals because they could be easily replaced and were therefore hard to track.

She twisted in her chair to grin up at him. He'd taken his helmet off and his short fur was ruffled along the crest of his head. "Jorgan! Did you _loot the bodies_?" She pretended to wipe away a tear. "I'm so proud!"

He chuckled quietly, looking more relaxed than he had earlier. She assumed it was because the mission had been successful, and the Sith was gone. "Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, though he looked pleased. "I thought they might have some information about their employer. And your doctor friend can probably use the credits to help those girls."

"Good thinking," she said, trading the credit chips for her stolen blaster. She tucked the credits into the pocket of her borrowed jacket and Jorgan clipped the blaster in place on his hip. "Though I don't know what you plan to do with the information even if there's anything of interest in that holo unit."

"The Republic will take it," he said. "They've been keeping an eye on slavers when they can. And I doubt there are any local authorities that would care."

"Oh some might care, but they probably don't have the resources to do much about it," Rian said. "Anuh works with a couple of local officers who are trying to crack down on the slaver rings but there's only so much they can do with the number of staff they have. Not everyone on Nar Shaddaa is in a Hutt's pocket."

Jorgan made a thoughtful noise and gestured down at Rian's screens. "How are we looking?"

She turned to look back at the console. Most of the red warning lights had blinked back to green, and the speeder looked like it was still in good enough shape to get them safely to Anuh's clinic. "This is as good as it's going to get without spending some serious time in a repair bay."

"Is it safe to fly?" Jorgan asked, leaning over her shoulder to peer at the readouts. She could feel the heat radiating off of him and realized how chilly she was getting. She couldn't wait to get back to the ship and into comfortable clothes.

"Yeah, it looks good. I wouldn't trust it for a long haul but the clinic isn't far. It'll get us there."

Jorgan chuckled quietly before straightening up. "Maybe next time don't use it as a battering ram."

"Right," Rian replied dryly, smirking up at him. "Next time I'll let the goons shoot you in the back so I don't scratch the paint job on our stolen getaway vehicle." He laughed again and she levered herself up out of the chair. "Come on, let's get everyone on board."

Lomning was already shepherding the girls towards the speeder when she stuck her head out the door. They looked nervous when they saw Jorgan standing behind her and she shooed him away. He slipped into the front passenger seat, leaving a clear path inside. Viggota was hanging back by the storage room, letting the girls get settled. Rian had to offer a few of the smaller ones a hand up into the large vehicle, waving them all towards the rows of seats in the back.

The Jedi followed them in with Viggota behind him. "Any of them want a different drop off point?" she asked Lomning as she closed the hatch.

"No, they will all go to the clinic. I have helped some of them contact their families, and they will meet us there." He turned to make sure the girls were all wearing their seatbelts and Rian motioned for Viggota to join her and Jorgan at the front of the speeder. She was sure the girls would be more comfortable with the two big soldiers further away from them.

She slipped into the pilot's seat and waited for Lomning's all-clear in her earpiece before she lifted the speeder smoothly off the landing pad and merged into the nearest skylane.


	7. Chapter 7

There was one last bit of unpleasantness to take care of once they got back to the _Event Horizon_. Rian sent Lomning to stall Corso and Xirra while Viggota and Jorgan helped her to muscle the still-unconscious slaver back out of the ship and into their stolen speeder. She put a single blaster bolt through the back of his head and they drove the speeder to an abandoned taxi stand and left it there. It took them some time to find another taxi after that but the driver barely even blinked at Rian's attire. She rather suspected that Jorgan's menacing glower had something to do with that.

Back at the ship, Rian slapped the controls to close the airlock behind her and leaned back against the solid durasteel door with a sigh. Lomning was waiting on the steps up to the main ring corridor and gave her a questioning glance.

"Just a long day," she told him as Corso and Xirra appeared above him. Xirra's eyes were huge in her pale face and Corso looked worried, though some of the tension drained out of him when he caught sight of her and he smiled tentatively. Viggota squeezed her shoulder briefly before he and Jorgan disappeared quietly down the stairs into the lower ring of the ship to their quarters to change. She could hear Seetoo clanking around the ship, guessing he was in the kitchen when the tenor of the sound changed slightly.

"I am always here to listen, if you need to talk," Lomning said, voice pitched low. Rian looked up to meet his eyes, noting the concern there.

"I know. I'm okay, I think. Just tired." She patted him gently on the arm and pushed away from the door to climb the handful of stairs to join Corso and Xirra.

"I think all of us could benefit from a good night's rest," Lomning agreed.

"I could do with something to eat, first," Corso said. "I was too nervous to eat any dinner." He looked like he wanted to hug her but wasn't sure it would be welcome. She patted him on the arm but held back from anything more. Even with Viggota's jacket over it, she had reached the limits of her endurance with wearing her dancer's costume and wanted it _off_. She wanted to put the whole evening behind her and try to get back to normal.

"There should be leftovers in the kitchen," Lomning said, turning the lead the way but Corso gave her a quick once-over first.

"You're bleeding!" he said grabbing her shoulder to turn her towards the light.

She ducked out from under his hand and shook her head. "It's not my blood," she told him, fending off his hands as he reached out for her again. She understood that he was worried, but the last thing she wanted right now was to be grabbed. "I just want to go wash it off."

Xirra seemed to catch on, even if Corso hadn't, and caught his hand when he reached out again. "Come on, Corso," she said, giving his hand a tug. "Let her get cleaned up. We can go help get some food ready."

Corso went reluctantly and Xirra flashed Rian a sympathetic look over her shoulder as she went with him. Rian offered her a thankful nod, wondering again just what sort of life Xirra had run away from before they had found her on Denon.

She paused in her quarters just long enough for a shower and a change of clothes, letting the water wash off the blood and the makeup as well as the slightly dirty feeling the whole evening had given her. She pulled on a pair of loose black pants and an oversized white shirt whose sleeves were long enough to cover her hands, and her most comfortable pair of soft ship shoes. She'd had them for years and they were getting ragged, but they were just too comfortable to throw away. She debated digging out a sweater or wrapping herself in a blanket but she wasn't actually cold. She just wanted the comfort of being curled up and cozy. She shook her head at the impulse and left the room. She was sure her crew would be worried enough about her already and there was no sense in reinforcing that. If they started treating her like she was fragile right now she would probably scream.

Corso had his head halfway inside the cooling unit when she got to the kitchen, with Xirra peering around his shoulder and Seetoo helpfully letting them know what was in each container. Lomning was taking glasses down from the cabinets and filling them with fruit juice. Rian grabbed two of the full ones and moved them to the table. There wasn't really enough room for more people in the kitchen area without them constantly running into each other, so she settled into her usual chair at the head of the table and took a sip of her juice. It was sweet across her tongue, almost too sweet. Xirra must have made this batch - Rian had noticed that she preferred her drinks sweeter than the rest of the crew.

By the time Corso and Seetoo had reheated the leftovers Viggota and Jorgan had appeared from downstairs, dressed in casual clothes and soft ship shoes. Rian wasn't sure if they had been in search of companionship or food, but she was glad for their presence. Viggota patted her absently on her shoulder as he passed. She wasn't sure which she appreciated more, the contact or the completely casual way he did it. It was exactly the same way he would have touched her before he had learned about her past.

The mood around the table was quiet but not tense. She caught Corso sneaking a few worried glances at her but she was grateful that he didn't say anything. She scraped her plate clean and set her fork down next to it. "Good job today," she said quietly, though it instantly drew everyone's attention.

Lomning looked tired but content, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands over his stomach. "I agree. Everyone did exemplary work today." The mission had gone as well as they could have hoped. They had rescued all the girls and gotten them out without any of them getting hurt. None of her crew had been badly injured either - nothing Lomning couldn't handle, at least.

Rian leaned forward, elbows braced on the table and hands folded together. She didn't want to ruin the mood, but there was still unfinished business to discuss. "I talked to Kevrisa and Vette before they left," she said, resting her chin on her folded hands. Jorgan scowled but didn't say anything. "Does anyone object to moving the meeting up to tomorrow evening instead of waiting an extra day? Although that reminds me that we still need to vote on if we're willing to work with her against the Hutts."

Jorgan growled almost inaudibly, but he was staring determinedly at his plate when Rian glanced over at him. Lomning cocked his head to the side curiously but it was Viggota who spoke up first. "Okay, what's your problem with her now? She seemed okay to me."

Jorgan jerked his head up, lip curling up to show his sharp teeth. Lomning stood hastily, the scrape of his chair on the durasteel decking breaking the sudden tension. "This is probably not the best time for this conversation," the Jedi interjected. "Everyone is tired, and I do not wish anyone to say anything they may regret."

Viggota held up his hands as if in surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it. I just thought we worked well together today."

Rian stood too, just as Jorgan jerked to his feet, his jaw clenched tightly. He stalked out of the room and she quickly turned to follow. "I've got this," she said over her shoulder when Viggota moved as if to stand.

Jorgan was already out of sight when she left the common room but he'd turned right instead of left towards the stairs, so Rian headed for the bridge on a hunch. He was pacing in the small patch of floor between the captain's chair and Corso's usual seat, agitated enough that he didn't even notice her.

"Everything okay?" she asked and he spun to face her with a snarl. Her heart rate jumped in an instinctive response to a possible threat when she saw a brief flash of claws at his fingertips. He usually kept them carefully concealed, and she'd never seen him use them, but that didn't mean he couldn't.

"I'm fine, Captain." He straightened his spine and hid his hands quickly behind his back, falling instinctively into a position she recognized as a military parade rest.

"Clearly you aren't," she said, fighting the urge to cross her arms. She wanted to stay looking as nonthreatening as possible to keep him from reactive defensively. "I promised you that everyone on this ship got a vote about our jobs. We've met the Sith now, which was all we'd voted on before, so now it's time to decide if we're going to work with her."

"Do you really think anyone's going to vote against it now? After she helped save those kids?" Jorgan's shoulders were tense under his light shirt and he refused to meet her eyes, staring off somewhere past her left _lek_.

"It doesn't matter what I think. It only matters how everyone votes. Including you," she pointed out. "We don't have to talk about this now. Lomning was right about us all needing some sleep. But I'll listen to what you have to say. You're a good tactician. If you saw something that makes you think we shouldn't trust her, I want to know."

Jorgan sighed heavily, all the fight going out of him in an instant. He eased himself down into Corso's chair and Rian settled into Lomning's usual seat across from him, leaning forward and bracing her elbows on her knees. "It's not her. Not specifically her, anyways." He glanced at the doorway hesitantly, and Rian stretched over to tap the door controls. The airlock door hissed shut, leaving the bridge lit only by the dim auxiliary lights and the faint glow of the consoles. Jorgan chewed on his lip but his shoulders relaxed slightly.

There was a long silence, but Rian stayed quiet and waited until he was ready to talk. "When I was a kid," he began, his voice a low rumble that she could practically feel in her chest. "I went on a trip. My mom and my sibs and I were on an independent transport, heading from Rendili to Coruscant to see my dad. He was being awarded a medal, and we hadn't seen him in a while so she decided we'd take a holiday." He paused, scrubbing his hands over his face. "We hit an Imperial blockade along the way, and they boarded us. Looking for contraband, was the excuse they used. The troops herded us all into the main lounge, and then this Sith walked in. At first, it wasn't bad. The Sith was in control of the troops, making a point of stopping them if they started to get too rough. But there was something in his eyes that I didn't like, even back then. He was watching everyone, waiting for something, waiting for an excuse, maybe."

"How old were you?" Rian asked quietly. She hadn't known Jorgan had siblings, but this didn't seem like the right time to ask. She wondered where they were, and his parents, if they were still alive. He had never mentioned them before.

"Eleven," Jorgan replied, his mouth twisting. "Old enough to remember it, but not old enough to do anything about it."

"Young enough that nothing that happened was your fault," Rian pointed out.

"Oh I know," he said, giving her a sardonic smile. "Doesn't change the fact that it happened."

His body language screamed discomfort and Rian moved without really thinking about it, leaning back and stretching her legs across the gap between them to prop her heels on the edge of Jorgan's chair and rest her toes against his thigh. The contact seemed to surprise him and she was about to apologize and back off when he relaxed again and reached down to awkwardly pat her foot before folding his hands back in his lap.

"For some reason, the Sith singled out this one family," he continued. "I think the parents were merchants or something, travelling with their kids. The Sith started toying with them. Nothing big at first just focusing his attention on them - which they clearly were trying to avoid - asking about their merchandise, getting the soldiers to go through all their bags. They just threw everything on the floor, didn't care how much of a mess they were making."

Jorgan's jaw tightened and he looked away, staring blankly out the viewports at the front of the bridge. His voice was low enough that Rian had to strain to hear it. "And then the youngest girl started to cry and the parents couldn't stop her. The Sith looked down at this kid like she was a bug, then just waved his hand and threw her across the room. My mom made me stop watching then, so I don't know if the parents were too scared to do anything, or if the Imps stopped them, but by the time they left, the kid was dead. I never knew if she died instantly or not, but... the sheer callousness of it. I'll never forget that." He sighed, looking down at his hands. "Sith don't think the same way normal people do. We're unimportant to them, beneath them. They don't care about anyone but themselves."

Rian let the silence stretch out, but Jorgan didn't seem to have anything more to say. "That's awful," she said quietly. "I can understand why you don't like Sith."

"I know you're going to say that this one seems different, but..." He sighed heavily. "I just don't know. We have no way of knowing what she's really like."

"That could be true of anyone, though," Rian pointed out. "Sith don't have a monopoly on being cruel. And Kevrisa and Vette did help those slaves, of their own volition. That's got to count for something." Jorgan nodded, but he still looked unsure. "I'm serious about everyone having a vote," Rian told him seriously. "I don't want to force anyone to work with her." She dropped her feet back to the deck and leaned forward to rest her hand on Jorgan's shoulder. The muscles there were tense and tight and she squeezed firmly until he looked up to meet her eyes.

His yellow-green eyes luminous in the dim light of the bridge. "Thanks for listening."

"Any time, Aric." She gave his shoulder a squeeze, then stood to offer him a hand up.

"You know," he said, accepting her hand and rising slowly to his feet. "I think that might be the first time you've called me that."

She offered him a crooked smile. "Sorry. You didn't seem like you'd welcome it."

He made a face that she couldn't quite read, his hand still warm in hers. "I probably wouldn't have, at first. But... I'm okay with it now."

"So does that mean we're all on a first-name basis from here out?" she asked with a laugh, squeezing his hand reassuringly before she let go. She just couldn't picture Jorgan referring to Viggota by his first name, not yet. The command structure was still too deeply ingrained in him. And she definitely couldn't see Corso calling her anything but "Captain" any time soon.

"Maybe not," he admitted with a small smile. "Baby steps, right?"

"We'll get there," she said, surprised to find that she actually believed it. She turned to open the door, stepping back out into the corridor. "Get some rest. We can talk about our next move tomorrow."

"Not sure I'm going to be able to asleep," he admitted.

"Me neither," she said honestly. She was tired, but wasn't looking forward to trying to sleep. She knew herself well enough to know that screaming nightmares were a very real possibility tonight. "Tell you what. I've got some mindless holovids. I'll grab one and meet you in the common room?"

His expression slowly lightened. "That... sounds good, actually," he said, sounding surprised. "Want me to tell the others?"

"Sure, but they really should sleep if they can," she said, turning down the ring corridor towards her quarters. "No sense in forcing them to join the insomnia club too."

He chuckled and split off to duck into the common room and she let herself into her quarters. She had a not-so-secret weakness for terrible action holos, and had a small collection in a box in the back of her closet. She flipped quickly through the discs and selected one almost at random, then grabbed the sequels just in case, and a soft, warm blanket that was usually folded at the end of her bed.

In the common room she found that the dishes from their late dinner had been cleared away and Lomning was sitting at the table with a datapad and a mug of tea. Corso and Xirra were on the smaller couch, Corso with his arm wrapped around Xirra's shoulders while she had a disassembled holo unit spread over a tray on her lap. Jorgan and Viggota were at opposite ends of the other couch.

Rian paused in the doorway, surprised to see her whole crew there. After the day they had had, she would have expected them to want to sleep. "What are we watching?" Viggota asked, stretching his legs out in front of him.

She tossed the blanket at him and slotted the first disc into the holoviewer and turned off the lights. "The most mindless of action movies," she said. "The _Trandoshan Gladiator_ series."

Viggota laughed but Jorgan perked up. "Seriously?" the Cathar asked, sounding excited.

"They are my absolute favourite terrible holovids," she said, settling between him and Viggota on the couch after a slight hesitation. She had expected that she would shudder at the thought of someone touching her after her evening in the cantina, but she found she was craving contact. The couch was big enough that neither of the soldiers were actually touching her, but they were close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating off of them. Viggota unfolded the blanket and draped it across her lap and she passed the free end to Jorgan.

"Mine too," Jorgan said, surprising her by spreading the blanket over his lap. He hadn't seemed like the type to curl up on a couch and watch terrible movies. She liked getting to see this side of him.

"I've only ever seen the first one," Viggota said, rearranging his part of the blanket as he stretched his legs out. "I guess they made a sequel?"

Rian and Jorgan both laughed. "Oh, you poor, naive boy," Rian said with a grin. "They made _five_ sequels."

"They made a sixth one?" Jorgan yelped from beside her. His eyes were wide as he leaned forward intently to peer at the stack of discs she had left beside the holoviewer. "I never knew! Is it awful?"

" _Son of the Trandoshan Gladiator_. It is _terrible_ ," she told him with great relish. "It took me months to find a copy. I think the production company burned them out of utter shame."

"Right," Jorgan rumbled, sounding pleased. "I think movie night needs to become a regular occurrence."

"I've never seen any of them," Xirra said. She had flicked on a small light to be able to keep working on the disassembled holo unit. "What are they about?"

"A Trandoshan who was captured to fight in a gladiatorial arena," Corso said as the opening credit sequence started to play. "It's mostly just an excuse for a bunch of terrible fight sequences back to back."

"You don't sound like a fan," Viggota said, and Rian elbowed him in the ribs to shush him.

"Argue later," she said, wiggling her shoulders to settle more comfortably against the couch. "You're going to miss the movie."

Xirra only lasted halfway through the movie. She had giggled through most of the highly improbable opening sequence where the gladiator was captured but quickly lost interest during the seemingly never-ending battle sequences. Rian had seen her fidgeting out of the corner of her eye before she quietly packed up her project and slid off the couch as unobtrusively as she could.

"Not your thing?" Rian asked quietly, and Xirra's shoulders hunched up around her ears as if she was expecting condemnation. "No worries. It's not for everyone. Get some sleep. We'll see you tomorrow." Xirra relaxed slowly and tentatively returned Rian's smile. Something tightened behind Rian's ribs at this reminder of what Xirra's life must have been like before they had met her, and she wished she had more details. She would have loved to have tracked the girl's family down. But, she reminded herself, it wasn't up to her to get involved. Xirra clearly didn't want to talk about it, and she had to respect that.

"I'm going to call it a night too," Corso interrupted Rian's thoughts as he stood to follow Xirra. "Enjoy your terrible movie."

Rian mimed a half-hearted swipe at him and he grinned and jumped back. "Good night, Farm Boy."

"Night, Captain," he said, wrapping his arm around Xirra as they left the room.

Lomning shifted to the other couch before Rian could even think about moving, stretching his legs out and leaning back against one of the arms. He seemed enraptured with the movie, grinning with delight. "How have I never heard of these films before?" he asked. "They are wonderful!"

Rian chuckled. "This one is awful, Jedi. And they only get worse from here."

Lomning flapped a hand at her. "Yes, yes, it is terrible. But so much fun!"

"I won't argue that," she said with a grin.

By the end of the first movie, Lomning was yawning so much he regretfully bowed out. "I will have to continue watching later," he said, standing reluctantly.

"You can borrow the discs any time," Rian said as Lomning collected his datapad. He rinsed his mug and left, hiding another yawn behind his hand. "You guys up for another?" she asked Viggota and Jorgan. She intended to keep watching until she fell asleep on the couch. She had no desire to be alone with her thoughts right now.

"Sure," Viggota said, standing to slot the next disc in. Rian expected him to claim the empty couch, but he settled back under the blanket next to her. He stretched an arm out along the back of the couch in a blatant invitation, and as the opening credits started she leaned tentatively into him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, slow enough that she could stop him if she wanted, and she curled carefully closer. He was warm and solid and it made her feel safe rather than trapped.

She hesitated before drawing her legs up and pressing her toes against Jorgan's thigh. He almost never initiated casual contact with the rest of the crew, so she didn't know if he would welcome it, but he had seemed amenable to it earlier so she figured she would try. He shifted slightly and she was about to pull away when he placed his hand on her ankle so lightly that she could barely feel it. She relaxed slowly and let the movie catch her attention again.

Halfway through the movie, Viggota started snoring. Rian jerked in surprise at the first rattling inhalation, then laughed and poked him in the ribs. He snorted irritably and stopped snoring, though he didn't wake. Jorgan chuckled and shifted his hand on her leg, his thumb rubbing absently around her ankle bone as she relaxed again.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see him watching her carefully. "You're sure this is okay?" he whispered, his fingers tightening briefly on her ankle. On the holo, the gladiator - who had been recast thanks to a contract dispute after the first movie and looked nothing like the original actor - was roaring his triumph over yet another opponent.

"Yeah," she said quietly. Instead of feeling trapped or nervous between the two large men, she felt safe and content. She still wasn't sure she could sleep, but she was certainly more relaxed than she had expected to be. Maybe there was something to be said for having a crew around. She trusted them, and their presence was soothing.

"Don't want to make you uncomfortable," he said. "Tell me, if I do?" She nodded, and his fingers tightened minutely before relaxing again. She gave Viggota's ribs another nudge as a snore rattled the room. "Did you..." Jorgan hesitated. "You listened to me earlier. Can I do the same for you?"

Rian sighed, shifting to brace her back against Viggota's ribs and drape her legs over Jorgan's thighs so she could meet his eyes. She expected him to object, but he just rearranged the blanket to make sure her feet were covered. "Don't really like to talk about it," she told him quietly. The light from the holo flickered unevenly across his face but his gaze on her was sniper-focused. "Yeah, I was a slave, but it was a long time ago."

"Fair enough," the Cathar rumbled, patting her shin absently. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry we asked you to do that."

"Vig already apologized," she said. The Human's arm was still draped over her shoulder, his big hand resting on her stomach. She slid a hand over his and gave it a squeeze. Behind her, he snorted in his sleep but didn't start snoring again. "You guys didn't know," she told Jorgan. "And it was a good plan. Probably the best we could have come up with on short notice." He still looked uncomfortable, and she flexed her calves against his legs to get him to meet her eyes. "It worked. Those girls won't have to go through what I did."

He nodded and turned his gaze back to the holovid. "Glad we could do that, at least. I just wish someone could have been there for you too."

"I'm who I am today because of it," she told him quietly, looking down at her hands. "It was awful, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but I don't know that I'd go back and change it if I could. It got me here, after all. I'd have never ended up with the _Event Horizon_ otherwise." Jorgan's hand tightened on her ankle again but he just let the silence stretch out between them. She hoped he didn't expect her to fill it, because she wasn't exactly in the habit of talking about her time as a slave.

"How'd you end up here anyways?" he finally asked. "Assuming you don't mind me asking?"

She turned her head back towards the holovid so she didn't have to meet his eyes. "I escaped. Stowed away on the first ship I found. It happened to be this one. They found me after they'd jumped to hyperspace, and the captain let me stay."

Jorgan hummed thoughtfully. "Resourceful."

"Lucky," she said, shaking her head. "I could have ended up in a worse situation."

"You always land on your feet," he said quietly. Comfortable silence descended between them and Rian made a contented noise and turned her attention back to the holovid.

She didn't remember falling asleep, but she startled blearily awake when someone picked her up off the couch. "Go back to sleep," Jorgan said quietly, tightening his arms around her so she didn't fall. She could still hear Viggota snoring as the Cathar turned and carried her down the hall towards her quarters.

"I can walk," she said, squirming sleepily. Her eyes were heavy and she felt warm and comfortable and more than halfway to falling asleep again.

"Relax," he rumbled, and she could feel the vibration of his voice against her ribs. "I've got you." He shifted his grip slightly so that he could hit the door controls, then he stepped in and laid her gently on the bed. "Sleep. I'll see you in the morning." He tugged the blanket up over her and turned off the lights as he left. Rian was asleep again almost before the door hissed shut.


	8. Chapter 8

Rian woke slowly, feeling relaxed and lazy. She stretched, then squirmed out from under the blanket and frowned when she realized she was still dressed, right down to her soft ship shoes. She winced as she suddenly remembered Jorgan carrying her to bed. She'd have expected that from Corso or Viggota, or maybe even Lomning, but not Jorgan. It wouldn't be the first time that someone had started to treat her differently after learning she had been a slave, but it never got easier to stomach. She wasn't _broken_ , and she didn't need his sympathy.

Still, she felt much more settled than she had expected. She had been worried she might have nightmares, but she didn't remember dreaming at all. She changed into a pair of grey workout shorts and a black sleeveless top before wandering out to the kitchen to see if anyone else was up.

She ran into Corso and Xirra in the corridor, grinning when Xirra hid a yawn behind one hand. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders instead of being pulled back into her usual braid. She and Corso were both dressed similarly to Rian in casual, comfortable clothes. "Sleep well?" Rian asked them.

"Yeah, pretty well," Corso replied. Xirra yawned again and he laughed. "Well, I did, anyways."

"I'm okay. Just not awake yet," Xirra said, flapping her hands at Corso in mock-irritation. "I'll be fine once I get some caf."

"Lomning's already up," Corso told her. "He said he'd start a pot."

"And that's why he's my favourite," Xirra said, grinning when Corso faked a pout. She wrapped her arm around his waist, and he pulled her in close to press a kiss against her hair. Rian hid a smile at the soft look that spread over Corso's face. She was glad to see the two of them happy, though there was something tight in her chest at the sight too. She didn't think they would leave like Joro and Lia had. Not any time soon, anyways.

"I think he's everyone's favourite, even if he doesn't make caf for us," Rian said, flicking her _lekku_ back over her shoulders to distract herself from those thoughts. They would stay, or they would leave. It wasn't her decision and she had to accept that. "He has the unfair advantage of being a Jedi. It's impossible to dislike him."

"Jedi mind trick," Lomning explained solemnly as they entered the kitchen, though his eyes twinkled. He had a set of tongs in one hand as he stood over the warming unit, where something was quietly sizzling. "We should do another movie night again soon," he said, turning back to the food. "I greatly enjoyed that."

"Sounds good. But maybe a different genre. I don't think Xirra wants to watch any more of those." She grinned over at the young woman, who ducked her head sheepishly. "Hey, don't," she said, leaning over and snagging Xirra's wrist gently. "Everyone has different tastes. Don't be embarrassed to say you don't like something."

"It was just so... implausible," Xirra said, sounding exasperated as she dropped into her usual chair and curled her hands around the mug of caf that Corso slid across to her. "And the acting was so bad!"

Rian grinned, then nodded her thanks to Corso as he passed her a mug too. "I know. And it only gets worse in the sequels."

Lomning chuckled. "I look forward to seeing them."

Viggota and Jorgan showed up just then, dressed as casually as the rest of the crew. Even Lomning had forgone his usual robes that morning and was wearing a loose tunic and trousers. "Morning," Viggota said, reaching for two mugs of caf and passing one to Jorgan. He clapped Rian on the shoulder as he passed, and Jorgan's hand twitched like he was about to do the same but then he dropped it back to his side, looking unsure. Rian ducked her head to avoid meeting his eyes and he frowned and crossed around to the other side of the table. She felt guilty, but she covered it with a sip of her caf. She would have to talk to him, but she wasn't going to do it in front of everyone else.

Lomning carrying breakfast over to the table was the perfect distraction, and everyone arranged themselves into their usual seats. The conversation quickly devolved into requests to pass condiments and the sound of cutlery on plates.

She scraped her plate clean and pushed it aside to brace her elbows on the table. With everyone done eating but still in the same room, there was no sense in putting it off. "Unless anyone's got other plans, we should discuss what we're doing next."

"With the Sith, you mean," Corso said. "Since we've already met her, I guess we need to decide if we're willing to work with her further."

"Pretty much," she said, glancing around the table. Jorgan was the one she was really worried about, but he just looked tired instead of argumentative.

"I don't have any objections to it," Viggota said with a shrug. "She and Vette helped us last night, and they certainly didn't need to. I also don't see any way they would have known what our plans were, in case anyone thinks they were just doing it for our benefit." He carefully didn't look at Jorgan, but the Cathar snorted anyways.

"Okay, okay, I give up. I doubt she planned something this elaborate to try to trick us. It's just too many coincidences. It doesn't make sense." He shook his head slowly, though he still looked like he had tasted something sour. "I'm willing to grant that she probably did it of her own volition, so maybe not every Sith is as bad as I imagine."

"You're willing to work with her?" Corso asked, sounding surprised. Rian privately admitted she was a little surprised too, even after their conversation the night before.

Jorgan sighed heavily. "Yes. But I still don't trust her."

"I don't think we should just blindly trust her, even if she did help us yesterday," Rian said. "But I feel like she deserves a chance. She seems to be genuinely concerned with helping people."

"I agree," Lomning said. "I did not sense any deception from her, or from Vette. It is possible that Lord Kevrisa has trained to hide her emotions, but to my knowledge not many Sith follow that path. They are passionate, experiencing every emotion to the fullest extent."

"Well, as it stands now we already have a meeting set up with her tomorrow," Rian pointed out. "She and Vette are willing to move it up to tonight if we agree. No sense in putting it off, right? So my vote is to meet with her, and Vette, I assume, and see what she has to say. Then we can decide if we're still willing to work with her." Rian looked around at each of her crew, who all nodded in turn.

"It does seem likely that Vette will also attend the meeting," Lomning said. "I did not get the impression that theirs was a new partnership."

Viggota shrugged. "Doesn't really change our plans any, since we'd already taken into account that she might have allies."

"Well, now that we've met her, does anyone want to suggest any changes to those plans?" Rian leaned back in her chair, feeling surprisingly content as her crew started to go over their existing plans. The atmosphere was relaxed, without any of the barbed comments from Jorgan that had punctuated their last discussion about this. She interjected a couple of times, but mostly let the others handle the planning. Viggota and Jorgan were good tacticians, and Lomning was very perceptive. Even Corso and Xirra contributed, though the girl still looked a little hesitant the first couple of times she spoke up. But when the others paused to listen and take her suggestions into account she started to relax.

When Seetoo clanked up from his charging station in the lower ring, Rian stood to help him clear the table and wash the dishes, waving the others away when they tried to stand. "Keep talking. I can hear just fine from here." She kept half of her attention on the conversation, reassuring Seetoo when he turned to her. "We think she's above-board. But we're going to take precautions anyways, just in case."

"A sensible course of action, Master," the droid said, helping her to put away the dishes.

By the time Rian had finished cleaning up, the conversation was winding down. "I can't think of anything else," Viggota said, tapping a finger thoughtfully on his lower lip. "I think we're as prepared as we can be."

"Everyone take the rest of the day off. I'd suggest you stay on the ship, but I won't force you to," Rian said. "I'll call Kevrisa to reschedule the meeting for tonight."

"If anyone does want to go out, don't go alone," Viggota added. "This Sith may not be a danger, but as we saw yesterday, Nar Shaddaa is."

"And we spent a good chunk of yesterday pissing off a powerful criminal organization," Jorgan rumbled. "I doubt they're looking for us right away, not with Republic Intelligence on their tails, but everyone should be aware that it's a possibility."

Xirra shrank down in her seat a little and Rian paused behind her to rest a hand on her shoulder. "He's right, but all the same I doubt they'll be coming after us any time soon. As long as no one wanders off on their own, we should be fine. Just another day on Nar Shaddaa, right?" Xirra relaxed a little and Rian turned to the rest of her crew. "I'll contact Kevrisa, and then I'm going to catch up on some messages. If anyone needs me, I'll be in my quarters. I'm sure you can all entertain yourselves for a few hours." Everyone nodded and Rian ducked out of the kitchen to head back to her room.

She was sitting cross-legged on her bed, composing a message to Kevrisa when her door chimed. "It's unlocked," she called, frowning down at her screen. She wasn't sure how formal she should be. She had never contacted a Sith before.

The door hissed open and she glanced up to see Jorgan standing in the doorway with his hands clasped behind his back. "Captain," he said gravely. "Could I speak with you?"

She hid a wince and saved the message before setting her datapad aside. "Sure," she said, hoping her hesitation didn't show in her voice. She hadn't expected Jorgan to be the one to initiate this conversation. He tended to brood rather than talk, just as she preferred to avoid confrontations.

He stepped inside and let the door hiss shut behind him. "You have a problem with me?" he asked bluntly, though he seemed more curious than upset.

She stood up, feeling at a disadvantage seated on her bed. "I should apologize," she said crisply. If he wasn't going to dance around it, she wouldn't either. "For last night."

He blinked in confusion, his composure cracking slightly. "For what?"

"I don't need anyone to take care of me," she said. "I shouldn't have put you in that position"

A faint smile curved his lips and he shook his head. "And here I was coming to apologize for overstepping. I realize I should have asked, but I didn't want to wake you." He hesitated briefly. "Besides, just because you can take care of yourself doesn't mean you have to do everything alone. We're here for you as much as you're here for us."

"Did you carry Viggota to bed too?" she asked, trying for teasing but landing somewhere closer to caustic. "I don't want you to treat me like I'm fragile."

"You're not," Jorgan said firmly. "There's no shame in accepting help. Friends do that for each other."

She bit back a belligerent response and took a deep breath. "Look. I'm not trying to start an argument. But think how this looks from my perspective. Before yesterday, how many times had you actually touched me? Or been comfortable with me touching you? And then I spend the day parading around dressed as a slave and suddenly you're all solicitous of my feelings and carrying me to bed? I'm not a damsel in distress, Jorgan. I'm the same person I was before. I don't want to be treated any differently."

"That's not..." He trailed off with a frustrated noise. "You have to expect that learning that is going to affect peoples' views of you, especially the way we learned it. But that's not why I did it. That's not the only thing that happened yesterday. I thought..." He blew out a breath and straightened his shoulders. "Never mind. I clearly overstepped, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'll leave you to your work." He twitched like he had almost saluted and quickly turned and let himself out before she could formulate a response.

She sighed and slumped back onto the bed. She had clearly messed that up, though she wasn't entirely sure how.

After another ten minutes of tweaking the message to Kevrisa, Rian finally just gave up and sent it. She could spend all day second-guessing her phrasing, or she could do something productive. Once it was sent she scrolled quickly through her messages. None of them were truly urgent and she turned down the only job offer immediately since there was no way she would smuggle illegal drugs, and she didn't think anyone on her crew would object to that decision.

The late night and the stress of the day before convinced her that she should take advantage of the downtime for a quick nap. She would have rather been out enjoying Nar Shaddaa, but she knew Viggota and Jorgan were right. This wasn't the time to be out wandering alone. She was confident in her ability to take care of herself, but she really should be attempting to be a good example for the rest of her crew.

She emerged from her quarters feeling much refreshed, and scavenged around in the kitchen for a late lunch. It was clear the others had already eaten, and she found a covered plate of leftovers in the cooling unit. She warmed it up and wandered down to the lower ring, following the sound of voices until she found her crew sprawled on the mats in the gym, clearly having been sparring while she was napping.

Viggota lifted an arm in greeting when he spotted her and she lowered herself to sit on the mats beside him. He shifted so she could lean back against his side while she ate. "Everything dealt with?" he asked, trying to steal a slice of calarantrum root from her plate.

Rian nodded, swatting at his hand. "If you're hungry, go get your own plate." Viggota pouted at her and she laughed, letting him take a piece. "Yes, everything's dealt with. I turned down a job offer - I assumed none of you would object, since it was to smuggle illegal drugs."

Corso snorted. "No objections from me. I don't want to get mixed up in that sort of stuff." Around the room, the others were nodding.

"That's what I figured, but I'm glad to hear it." Rian finished her plate and set it aside, wriggling down to stretch out and rest her head against Viggota's leg since he hadn't objected to her leaning against him. She was still relaxed from her nap, warm and comfortable, and she wanted to hang onto that feeling as long as she could. "Did I miss anything interesting?"

"Just Viggota and Jorgan putting the rest of us to shame," Corso replied with a laugh. He was laying on his stomach, chin propped up on his hands, with Xirra sitting cross-legged beside him. She had a roll of tiny tools in her lap and was working on the holo unit, laid out carefully on a cloth in front of her. Lomning was flat on his back beside her, _lekku_ splayed out around his head.

Jorgan shook his head. "You held your own, Riggs." He was sitting cross-legged on Viggota's other side, leaning forward with his hands laced together in his lap. He was watching Xirra with focused intensity as she worked on the wrist computer, though she was absorbed enough that she didn't seem to notice his attention. Rian assumed it was a deliberate ploy to keep from looking at her, though she didn't know if it was because he was angry or annoyed with her.

"I'm sorry I missed it. I should set up a holorecorder in here," Rian said to the room at large, letting Jorgan have his space. She wanted to talk to Lomning before she tried to approach the Cathar again. Maybe the Jedi would have some insights that would help her figure out where she had gone wrong.

"It's actually not a bad idea," Viggota pointed out. "Watching a recording of a sparring session can help to point out where you can improve."

"I'll look into it, then," Rian said. "I should be able to get something pretty cheap while we're here."

Lomning rolled gracefully to his feet and held out a hand to Rian. "Speaking of things we should pick up while we are here, could I discuss the medical stores with you?"

"Of course," she said, letting him pull her up and reaching down for the plate that Viggota handed to her. "Are we low on anything?"

"Not critically," Lomning said, leading the way up the stairs to the small medbay. "But it is always a good idea to stock up before an emergency forces our hand."

"True enough," Rian agreed, detouring past the kitchen to drop off her plate. "Though I hope that's only practicality talking, and not Jedi precognitive abilities."

Lomning chuckled, picking up a datapad and leaning against the medical bed. "I do not have any true foresight," he said. "The occasional warning of imminent danger, but not reliable enough for it to be of any use." He handed over the datapad and Rian flicked quickly through it. "This is what we are most in need of, though anything that is too difficult or expensive to acquire here can wait."

"I'll get in touch with some people," she said, forwarding the list to the computer terminal in her quarters. "I'll keep you posted."

"Thank you," he said, taking the datapad back and setting it beside him. "Before you go, could I speak with you?"

"Sure," she said, leaning a shoulder against the doorframe. "I wanted to talk to you too, actually." He gestured for her to go first and she looked back to check that the hall was still clear. "Maybe in my quarters?" she suggested. She knew Jorgan had sharp ears and she didn't want to be overheard.

Lomning followed her and settled onto the chair in the corner while she perched on the end of the bed. "If I were to make an educated guess, I would say you wish to speak of your relationship with Aric," he said, folding his hands over his stomach and stretching his legs out.

"One point for the Jedi," Rian said wryly. "Is it that obvious?"

"Perhaps not to the whole crew, but I can sense that there is tension between you."

Rian crossed her legs and laced her hands together in her lap while she tried to think of how to start. "I don't tend to tell people I was a slave," she finally said. "I still don't know why I told Corso, back on Ord Mantell. Guess he just encourages people to trust him," she said with a small smile. "But I don't usually say anything. For a couple of reasons. First, I don't want or need their pity. Second, I don't want to be treated differently. I'm not fragile, I'm not broken, and I'm not up for grabs to the highest bidder." She ticked the points off on her fingers. They were the most common reactions. "I'm still me, I'm still the same person I was a week ago. And in my experience, almost everyone starts to act differently around me when they find out."

"You cannot expect that they will be unaffected by the revelation," Lomning said.

"Half the Twi'lek women in the galaxy have been bought and sold at some point in their lives," she pointed out. "I'm hardly unique. Stars, I've met Vette once and I can already tell she was one of them, just from the way she reacted to having that collar on. You know I hate slavery, but it's hardly uncommon. There were enough Cathar women in the brothels with me that Jorgan can't be unaware."

"Most likely not," Lomning said quietly. "But that does not mean he is not horrified by the practice. And it is different to hear about something in the abstract, and then to find out a friend has been directly affected by it."

"I get that, I really do," Rian said, exhaling sharply. "But can't he be horrified somewhere else? Does he think that by protecting me he's going to change anything about my past?"

Lomning held up a hand to interject before she could really get rolling. "Perhaps you could tell me precisely what happened to cause this tension? You both seemed comfortable enough during the holovid last night."

She sighed and made a conscious effort to relax. "I was craving contact, I guess. Vig offered, and I ended up leaning on him. I assumed Jorgan would move, if he wasn't comfortable, but he didn't. He actually touched me too. I was surprised. And then Vig fell asleep, and Aric and I talked a bit. I ended up falling asleep on him," she said, shaking her head. "I woke up when he was carrying me to bed. Talk about awkward, right? He never touches anyone unless he's sparring." She rubbed a hand over her face. "We talked, after breakfast. But I think I messed it up more."

"What did you say?" Lomning asked. There was no censure in his tone, and she found herself relaxing again. Not that she had thought the Jedi would judge her for her behaviour, but it was still nice.

"I... might have been a little annoyed with him," she admitted. "I told him I'm not a damsel in distress and that I don't need to be treated any differently."

Lomning stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Aric came to see me, after he had spoken to you," he said, and Rian groaned and flopped backwards onto the bed. How badly had she screwed up that stoic Jorgan had gone straight to Lomning for advice? "He is worried about you, and he feels guilty that it was his plan that put you in the position you had to play last night."

"I'm _fine_ ," she said, exasperated. "I don't need to be _coddled_."

"Can he not be concerned for a friend?" Lomning asked gently. "He told me you two had talked, before the movie. He did not tell me what you discussed, but he seemed to think you had forged a connection."

Rian groaned and flung an arm over her eyes. Lomning was right. "And then I brushed him off and flat out told him I didn't appreciate his concern." Lomning stayed silent, and Rian pushed herself back upright, feeling guilty. "Thanks, Jedi. I'll try talking to him again."

"Of course," Lomning said, standing gracefully. "Shall I send him to see you?"

"Sure," she replied, though she would much rather just avoid the situation and hope it blew over. "No sense in putting it off."

Lomning gave her a knowing look and let himself out, and she flopped onto her back again with a sigh. Having a crew was proving to be harder than she had expected. She didn't remember having these kinds of conflicts with Joro and Lia, but then again they had been much like her - scoundrels to the core, more inclined to blast their way out of a situation than talk through it. Really, it was a wonder the two of them had managed to admit their feelings for each other.

She sat up again when the door chimed. "Come in."

Jorgan entered hesitantly, barely stepping inside far enough for the door to slide shut behind him. His shoulders were tight and his hands were clasped behind him. "Captain."

"Sit," she said, waving him to the chair Lomning had vacated. "Aric. I owe you an apology." She hesitated, wetting her lips. He looked surprised, but obligingly perched on the edge of the chair. "I could justify my actions all day, but I won't. I don't like talking about my past, but that's no excuse. I messed up, and I'm sorry."

"You were under a lot of stress," Jorgan prevaricated, but Rian interrupted him.

"Doesn't matter. You were kind to me, and I was rude in return." She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "So. I'm apologizing, and hopefully we can move on from here."

"Apology accepted," he said, unconsciously mirroring her posture. "Thank you." He smiled tentatively and she felt relief wash through her.

"So we're all right?" she asked, and he nodded. Lomning was right - they had connected. She was glad he had trusted her enough to share a story about his past. Finding out he shared her taste in movies had been an unexpected bonus.

He moved as if to stand and then paused. "Can I ask something?" She hesitated for a fraction of a second, but he caught it anyways and held up a hand before she could say anything. "Cathar are traditionally very blunt," he told her, watching her intently with his sharp eyes. "We prefer straightforward conversations. Among my people, it's not an insult to tell someone the truth, even if the truth is that you don't want to talk about something. I'd like it if we could do that."

She nodded slowly. "I can try that," she said. She was used to talking in circles as a distraction, but there was something to be said for blunt honesty sometimes. And it might prevent more misunderstandings between the two of them.

"Thank you. If you tell me you don't want to talk about something, or that a topic is off-limits, I'll respect that. I won't be insulted. But I'd like to ask the same of you." He waited for her to nod again before continuing. "Yesterday, you touched me, several times. You don't usually do that. Everyone else, but not me. Can I ask why?"

Her first response would have been a flippant dismissal if not for his request for the truth. "Why all the contact yesterday? Or why do I not usually touch you?" she asked, stalling for time.

"Both, I suppose," he rumbled. He was watching her very closely. "You can tell me to back off, if you don't want to talk about it," he reminded her.

She sighed and shook her head. "I needed it. I'm sorry for not coming right out and asking. I hope it didn't make you uncomfortable. But... I trust you, and Vig. It was nice, to be able to touch someone on my terms, to know that I could do that with both of you and feel safe, instead of scared."

"It didn't bother me," he said quietly. "I'm glad, that I could help."

"You're sure you're okay with it?" she asked, leaning forward to brace her elbows on her knees. "You don't exactly invite contact, most of the time. I never know if you like it."

He chuckled quietly. "Cathar are born into a litter. Usually at least three kits. We grow up with constant contact. From our parents, from our siblings, from our family. Social grooming is a big thing for us. But then I joined the military, and... I had to stop. It's not something you can really ask for from your squad mates, you know?"

"You miss it?" she asked, and he nodded. She was having a hard time picturing the stoic Jorgan curled up with friends or family, but she had no reason to think he was lying. She had known a few Cathar women, when she was a slave. They had been more physically demonstrative than most of the others, but they had all seemed nervous about it. She supposed they hadn't wanted their masters to realize and try to exploit it.

"I guess I've spent a lot of years now holding myself back from people. It's hard to change those habits," he told her.

"Well, when we watch the next _Trandoshan Gladiator_ holo we can work on that," she said, and was rewarded with a smile. "But you have to promise to tell me if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable. If you say you're okay with more contact, I can do that. But if it's too much, or I overstep..."

"I promise," he rumbled, voice serious. "I might be twitchy about it since I'm not used to it, but if anything truly bothers me I will tell you. But, by the same token, I don't want you doing anything that makes you uncomfortable either."

She chuckled. "As you might have noticed, I touch people without even realizing I'm doing it. It's been harder for me to remember to _not_ touch you." He drew breath to speak and she quickly cut him off. "But yes, I promise."

"Thank you," he said quietly, and they shared a quick smile. "I appreciate it." He stood and straightened his shoulders. "I'm going to go check over my gear. Make sure everything's in order for tonight."

"Good idea," she said, standing too. Even though they had just finished talking about it, she still hesitated before reaching out, but he met her hand halfway and gave her fingers a squeeze before he nodded briskly and let himself out of her quarters.

The rest of the afternoon passed quietly, though Rian could feel the tension on the ship slowly ramping up as the day wore on. She helped Lomning and Seetoo put together an early dinner, but no one had much of an appetite. Xirra could hardly sit still, fidgeting nervously and shifting in her chair. Corso wasn't any better, jiggling his leg under the table until Rian pressed her foot against his and he stopped with a sheepish smile. Lomning's serene facade stayed in place but he barely spoke during the meal, which was unusual. The two soldiers ate steadily, having learned to take meals when they could get them in the field. Rian picked at her dinner but eventually gave up and pushed her plate away.

"Go get ready," she said, standing. "We leave in half an hour." The others scrambled to follow suit, splitting up to head to their own quarters. Seetoo clanked forward to clear the table, his servos whirring. He was nervous too, clicking his metal fingertips together as he reached for the plates.

Rian had chosen to wear a pair of armoured pants, but they were different than her usual ones. The armour plates were stitched into pockets in the pants, rather than riveted to the surface. They still offered the same protection but they were more subtle than her usual armour. The grey on black contrast stitching made them look decorative, rather than practical. She pulled on a skin tight black shirt with a deep V neckline and slipped into a jacket that matched her pants and a pair of knee-high boots. She clipped her blasters to her hips - no one went unarmed on Nar Shaddaa, even if they were ostensibly going out for an evening at a cantina. She didn't bother with makeup, though she would have if they had actually been going out dancing. She didn't want to waste any more time.


	9. Chapter 9

When Rian met the others by the airlock door they were all dressed similarly to her, with hidden armour built into their clothes. It was something she had insisted on buying a few ports back, and now she was glad she had. It was always good to have some different options than the heavier armour they usually wore, for situations that could be dangerous but where it was impractical to wear anything more obvious. She nodded her approval and thumbed the airlock open.

She rented an airspeeder to take them to the cantina, though it was expensive to get one big enough to fit all of them. She didn't think they were in any immediate danger from the Exchange, but she didn't want to take the chance of splitting up.

As they came around the corner of the Promenade towards the Slippery Slopes, Rian could already feel the durasteel floor plates under her boots vibrating in time with the heavy bass beat coming out of the cantina. Jorgan winced, pointed ears twitching slightly, but he didn't say anything.

It was still early enough that there wasn't a line to get in, and the small crowd meant that Rian spotted Kevrisa and Vette without any trouble. They had chosen an L-shaped booth near the back of the cantina that was out of the way of the busy path between the bar and the dance floor. They were both dressed casually, Vette in black pants and a dark blue shirt with cut-outs that bared large swathes of her green skin and Kevrisa in a long dark grey dress that covered her from neck to ankles but left her arms bare. Rian was sure she had her lightsabers with her, but they weren't immediately visible.

The Sith looked up at their approach, a smile curving her lips. She nudged Vette and the two of them stood as Rian and her crew stopped beside their table. "Nice to see you again," Kevrisa said, surprising Rian by offering her hand. She would have expected the Sith to bow but she clasped it without hesitation, though she could see Jorgan tense out of the corner of her eye.

"You too," Rian told her, gesturing to her crew. "Lord Kevrisa, Vette, this is Corso and Xirra."

"Just Kevrisa, please," the Sith said, bowing instead of offering her hand. Corso and Xirra looked relieved, and returned the bow somewhat awkwardly.

Rian turned to signal to one of the servers. The table was big enough for all of them, though they might have to get a little cozy. "First round's on me." She slid into the booth first, knowing Viggota and Jorgan would want to sit towards the outside of the bench. If necessary, she was nimble enough to go over or under the table to get out. She was surprised that Kevrisa sat beside her on the short side of the L, with Vette on her other side. Lomning slid in beside Rian, with Corso and Xirra after him and the two soldiers at the far end with Jorgan at the outside. Rian waited until their drinks were delivered before jumping right in.

"Let's get down to it," she said, skipping over the pleasantries. "We've already met, and seen what you're capable of. What do you need us for?"

"Firepower," Vette said before Kevrisa could reply. "The two of us can't take this on ourselves."

Kevrisa gave her a quelling look, but there was something fond about it. "Vette is right. We know where the lab is that is manufacturing the drug, but it is too heavily guarded for us to take on ourselves. Our hope is that you might be willing to assist us."

"What's your goal?" Viggota asked.

"We wish to destroy the drug, and all records of it so it cannot be manufactured by anyone else," Kevrisa said, and Viggota nodded.

"I'm okay with that," he said. "Though I'd like to know what you plan to do about the people working there."

Kevrisa tapped her fingers absently on her glass. "Many of them are truly unsavoury sorts," she said. "Scientists who practice on a Hutt-controlled world often do so due to the lack of oversight for their experiments." She sighed and shook her head. "However, there is a possibility that perhaps not all of the scientists working in the lab are there of their own free will," she added. "I am torn about what to do in that case. They will have knowledge of the drug that could prove dangerous, but if they are being coerced into the work, they should not die for it."

Even Jorgan thawed a bit at that admission, though he was still scowling and hadn't touched his drink. Lomning rubbed his fingers through the condensation on his glass, drawing absent patterns on the tabletop. "I understand your concerns," he told Kevrisa. "And I share them. I can assist in determining if they can be trusted to keep this knowledge secret."

Rian chewed absently on her bottom lip. "Not to be the bad guy, but if anyone ever finds out about this and tracks them down..." She shrugged and spread her hands. "Well, there are ways to get information out of people who are supposed to keep it a secret. Short of keeping them under protective custody for the rest of their lives, I'm not sure there's ever a way to guarantee that this information will stay secret forever."

"What about getting them new identities?" Corso asked. "No one can track them down if they've got all new records."

Kevrisa looked thoughtful at the suggestion but Rian met his eyes and shrugged. "It's a possibility. But you know enough about slicing to know that no job is ever untraceable. No matter how thoroughly you hide the past, someone can always uncover it again with enough time and incentive."

"Not to mention that people who are given new identities tend to fall back into familiar patterns anyways," Jorgan rumbled. "It's hard work to change all your old habits."

"It's not a bad idea, though," Vette said slowly. "It's not perfect, but if we can shift them off-world and set them up with new identities, they might be able to put this behind them."

"What about their families?" Xirra asked. She blushed when everyone's attention turned to her but soldiered on. "They might have families here. They won't want to leave them behind."

"That would make it more difficult," Kevrisa mused. "But I agree that the suggestion is a good one. Their families can always be moved along with them."

"It may not even matter," Viggota pointed out. "If they're all assholes, we don't have to worry."

Rian snorted and hid a grin behind her glass, though she noticed the faintest smile curving Kevrisa's lips as well. "That is true," the Sith said to Viggota. "But we should work under the assumption that we might not be that lucky."

"Captain, could you get a hold of your friend who helped you on Coruscant?" Lomning asked. "Would she be able to assist again?"

"Maybe," Rian said, appreciating the fact that Lomning hadn't used Kixi's name in front of Kevrisa and Vette. "I can put some feelers out but she's pretty untraceable when she doesn't want to be found."

"So you're going to help?" Vette asked, leaning forward intently.

Rian glanced around the table at her crew, unsure of how to answer that. She was willing to say yes on her own behalf, and she was pretty sure most of the others would as well, but she didn't want to answer for them. Especially Jorgan, who was scowling down at the scarred table top.

"We can give you a few minutes," Kevrisa said, tapping her empty glass with one fingertip. Rian noticed that her short nails were painted a deep, shimmery purple. "We will go fetch the next round."

Kevrisa and Vette collected the empty glasses, though Jorgan firmly held on to his still-full drink. He watched them go suspiciously until Rian cleared her throat and he dragged his attention back to the table. "Okay, time for a vote. Does anyone have any questions or concerns first?"

Rian bit back a grin when everyone looked at Jorgan. He sighed heavily. "I guess I'm the only dissenting voice?"

"You don't have to agree if you don't want to," Rian said, leaning forward so she could catch his eyes. "We can figure something else out."

"No, it's okay," Jorgan said, looking down and absently turning his drink around in his hands. "I vote yes."

"You're sure?" Xirra asked, looking worried. Jorgan gave her a curt nod but didn't otherwise reply.

Rian looked around at the others, who all nodded. She glanced towards the bar, where Kevrisa was pretending not to watch, though Rian was sure the Sith was using some Force trick to keep an eye on them. Vette wasn't bothering with the charade and was watching them openly. She elbowed Kevrisa when Rian caught her eye and waved them back over. Jorgan tensed when they slid back into the booth but didn't say anything.

Kevrisa passed out fresh drinks to everyone, even Jorgan. The Cathar snorted quietly, setting it pointedly beside his still-full glass. "Have you come to a decision?" she asked. Rian thought she was probably too well-trained to show anxiety, but there was still something intent about her gaze. This mission was clearly important to her, and she knew she needed their help with it.

Rian nodded decisively. "We're in. Tell us what you know."

A look of pure relief passed over Kevrisa's face, quickly hidden, and Vette whooped with glee. "Awesome! I knew it!" She turned to Kevrisa, punching her gently in the shoulder. "Didn't I tell you yesterday?"

"Yes, you did." Kevrisa gave Vette a fond look, catching her hand and squeezing her fingers. She turned back to Rian, leaving her fingers laced with Vette's, red skin against green. "Thank you, all of you. I know it could not have been an easy decision to make."

"You're welcome." Rian waved it off, not wanting to make Jorgan uncomfortable. "So, what's our next move?"

Vette was wearing a sleek wrist computer, nearly hidden under the edge of her sleeve. She leaned forward and tapped the screen to project a two-dimensional holographic image flat into the air above her hand, showing a map of part of the Undercity. It would be hard to see from any angle outside their booth, and Rian approved of her discretion. "Here's the lab that's manufacturing the drug," Vette said, her fingertip making the image shiver as she poked at one particular building. Rian didn't recognize the immediate area, but the Undercity was a big place, and she didn't often venture into the deeper parts of Hutt-controlled territory.

"The sector is guarded, of course," Kevrisa said, folding her hands together on the table. "Dengo the Hutt controls it, and his people watch every entrance. But we have found a possible way in, for a small team." She traced a line along what Rian thought might be an abandoned lift shaft. "This lift has been shut down, ostensibly for repairs, for months. Possibly years. It connects to one of the upper levels, but is not currently in use. It is not guarded, as far as we can tell."

"Is the lift still functional?" Viggota asked, cocking his head to the side to survey the holo map. "If not, that's a long climb."

"Sorry," Vette said with a shrug, making the hologram flicker as the computer shifted with the movement. "It looks like it's inactive. And even if we could get it working again, they'd know we were coming."

Rian made a face. "I'd rather climb. But that's a long drop. We'll need harnesses or something."

Kevrisa nodded. "Yes, that was my thought as well. There is a maintenance tunnel near the top of the shaft. It is also blocked off, but it should provide an ideal starting point for our descent."

"And once we get down there?" Corso asked. "How do we get from the lift to the lab? Are we going to have to fight our way there?"

"I don't think so," Vette said. She tapped the controls on her wrist computer to shift the image and zoom in on the bottom of the elevator shaft. "There's another maintenance tunnel here. From the blueprints we found, it will get us close."

"What about the lab itself?" Rian asked. She was relieved that they wouldn't have to fight their way through the whole sector.

"There are two guards on the door - the only door, mind you - four pairs on rotation day and night. They check everyone going in and can radio the main security base if there's a problem," Vette said. "You need a key card to get in. The lab itself is shielded and there's another security access point there. We'll have to slice the doors."

"How'd you find that out?" Rian asked. "I bet that's not on the original blueprints."

Vette grinned. "I ran into an old friend while I was scouting the level. He's one of the door guards, but he wants out. And he owed me a favour."

Rian chewed on her bottom lip. "You're sure we can trust him?"

"Pretty sure," Vette said. "He was always good to me, and I saved his life once."

"But he's working for a Hutt?" Corso asked.

Vette shrugged. "There aren't a lot of job prospects for mercs with criminal records," she explained. "He's not a bad guy. He just doesn't always have the best judge of employers, and credits are credits."

"What else did he tell you?" Viggota asked.

"Dengo has put all his eggs in this basket," she replied. "He knows that if he can weaponize this drug that he'll have more credits than he can imagine. But he also knows that he'll have everyone gunning for him if they hear about it, either to steal it, or destroy it. So the place is very secret, and heavily guarded. Battle droids, automated turrets. Even a six-person squad of Mandalorian mercenaries as a last line of defense. They're in the lab, keeping an eye on the workers there."

Jorgan grimaced. "Mandos aren't going to be easy to take on, even with all of us against them."

"They'll have lots of warning that we're there, if we have to fight our way through the building," Rian said.

"And lots of potential hostages, in a room full of scientists," Viggota added.

"What about knocking out their comms somehow?" Xirra suggested, tapping her fingertips on the edge of the table. "I could probably rig up something that would disrupt their systems. Then they wouldn't be able to call for help. I might even be able to knock out any internal cameras so they won't be able to watch us coming."

"I can try slicing into their systems to shut down the cameras if you can't knock them out," Vette offered.

Corso sat up straighter. "Do you think you could hack the turrets too? They should be controlled by the lab's computers."

"Maybe?" Vette hazarded. "Though we won't be able to do anything about the battle droids. They'll have independent processing units."

"What about knocking out the power to the building?" Viggota asked. "We might be able to get rid a lot of their defenses that way."

"They've got backup generators," Vette said. "Inside the building. We wouldn't be able to get to them until we were inside."

"Would your friend be willing to help us?" Lomning asked Vette.

"I don't know," she said with a sigh. "He's already risked a lot just telling me this much. And he's never been inside the building anyways. He's just guarding the door."

"You could ask," Rian said. "I understand that he might not be able to, or willing to stick his neck out, but it wouldn't hurt. See if there's anything he needs that we can help with."

Vette shook her head. "I already promised him that Vris and I would get him off-planet after this, with enough credits to start over. But I can ask. I just don't know what else he might want, other than that."

Rian nodded. She understood where he was coming from. If the Hutt found out how much information he had given Vette already, he was a dead man. There wasn't exactly a lot of incentive for him to do any more. "What about going in after-hours?" she asked. "Does the lab ever shut down?"

"Probably," Vette said with a shrug. "But my friend says the Mandos and the scientists never leave, so there must be living quarters inside. And he doesn't know what sort of schedule they run on."

"And they're deep enough in the Undercity that there's no guarantee they run on the same day-night cycle as the surface," Rian sighed. Of course it couldn't be that easy.

Kevrisa cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention back to Vette's map. "The actual lab is here." She pointed at one of the larger rooms in the building, a blank rectangular space. "It is shielded so we cannot say with certainty what might be inside, but it appears to have an airlock separating it from the rest of the structure."

"That would make sense, since they're working with a pretty nasty drug," Rian said. "And that reminds me - we'll all need to have breather units. I don't want anyone inhaling any of this stuff."

Lomning nodded, pulling a tablet from his belt and making a note. "I will be able to acquire those," he said and Rian nodded in return.

"There should also be some storerooms nearby," Viggota said thoughtfully. "Manufacturing any quantity of this drug is going to take a significant amount of materials. How were you planning to get rid of them?"

Kevrisa leaned back in her seat and frowned. "We are not sure. Assuming they have already started to stockpile materials despite the drug not yet being complete, we obviously cannot simply burn the place to the ground, as that would release potentially dangerous chemicals. We have not yet come up with a good method to destroy the materials without causing a bigger problem."

Rian tapped a finger thoughtfully against her bottom lip. "Burning and burying are out, not that you could find actual ground to stick it into on Nar Shaddaa anyways. So is hiding it somewhere and hoping no one ever finds it."

"Well if they've got any sense, they'll have a laser incinerator," Xirra said. "Not saying that an illegal operation would actually adhere to those sorts of standards, but it's possible."

"If not, we can always haul everything off-planet and drop it into a sun," Rian said dryly.

"I know Nar Shaddaa spaceports have some pretty lax rules, but you can't imagine they'll just let you load up a bunch of stolen crates of unidentified chemicals," Vette pointed out, a frown creasing her forehead.

"Oh probably not," Rian agreed. "But then again, I wasn't exactly planning on telling them about it."

Understanding dawned on Vette's face and she laughed. "You're not just an independent captain!" she crowed. "You're a smuggler!"

"On occasion," Rian agreed with a grin. "And a good enough one to get those raw materials off-planet. Well, depending how much they might have on hand, of course."

"That can be our backup plan," Viggota said. "Though I can't imagine it's easy to do. How do you make sure they get where you're aiming them?"

"Stick everything into an unmanned drone ship and pilot it remotely," Rian said. "Not cheap, but effective. Especially if you find somewhere off the beaten path where you won't risk being interrupted. Dead systems, or a star without planets."

"Hopefully we can destroy the chemicals in place. But if not, we will try it that way. Assuming you would trust us to complete the job of destroying them after we launched," Lomning said, watching Kevrisa carefully.

The Sith hesitated a moment, glancing at Vette, then shrugged gracefully. "At some point we will have to decide to take each other at our words. I believe we can trust you."

Rian nodded seriously, slightly shocked at the trust this stranger was showing to them. Technically, they should be enemies, but they clearly had found common cause. "We can worry about that later, though. How are we going to get in?"

"It's probably going to have to be the front door," Vette said with a sigh. "My contact and our scans corroborate that the building is designed to withstand just about anything. There's something about the walls - I don't know if it's a coating, or something added to the durasteel during the manufacturing process, but lightsabers won't be able to cut through them. Not easily, at least."

"What about explosives?" Corso asked, but Rian shook her head.

"Too noisy," she told him. "Not that fighting our way in will be much better, but I'd like to try to keep things as quiet as possible."

"I think the walls won't react as expected to explosives anyways," Vette added. "Anything that can stand up to a lightsaber might not take as much damage as you'd think from you trying to blow a hole in it."

"So, two guards on the door, and a key card lock," Viggota said, waiting for Vette's nod. "Do the guards have key cards?" Vette nodded. "Well, that's one good thing at least. Any other defenses on the door?"

"Turrets," Vette replied. "Though my contact says they have to be triggered manually. They don't pop up automatically when someone walks up - that would just be dumb. They'd end up killing their own people. And more turrets inside, and the battle droids patrolling the interior." She made a face. "Plus that squad of Mandos in the lab itself. But if they're there specifically to watch the scientists I assume they'd stay there, rather than running out to join the fight at the door."

Jorgan absently tapped his claws against the tabletop. Rian had noticed that while he still wasn't exactly interacting directly with Kevrisa he had definitely become more invested in the preparations. "So, two guards and turrets at the front door, with the likelihood that the battle droids inside will respond to any sort of alarm."

"Plus whatever other reinforcements the Hutt might have," Rian said, shaking her head. "This doesn't sound good."

"If I can get into a good nest, I can take out one of the guards with one shot," Jorgan rumbled. "How's your distance shooting, Captain? You're our best shot. Could you hit the other guard from sniper range?"

Rian waggled her hand back and forth. "Maybe? A sniper rifle isn't exactly my weapon of choice."

"What if I can get the guard rotation from my friend?" Vette asked. "If we hit them when he's on duty we'll only have to worry about one guard."

"And we can slice the turrets before they can activate them, take them out of the picture," Corso added, leaning forward eagerly. "It shouldn't be hard to do manually. Remotely would be nearly impossible but being able to physically hack into them? Piece of cake."

"If we can do that, we might be able to get inside before they can mount an active resistance," Viggota said.

"The corridors inside are narrow," Kevrisa said. "The building was not designed to facilitate the movements of battle droids. We may have the advantage, if we can enter undetected."

Lomning leaned forward to look more closely at Vette's map. Parts of the building were only roughed in, the materials of the walls having blocked her scans. Some of it looked like educated guesses based on old blueprints but there was no guarantee the interior hadn't been gutted and redone since then. "I believe I can hold a shield across an entire corridor if required," he said. "It would be difficult, but if the widths of the halls are accurate, I should be able to shield us if necessary."

"And we can jam the door behind us so that any reinforcements will have a tough time getting in," Rian said. "It's not ideal, since it means it'll take a bit more time for us to get out, but I'm hoping we'll have some breathing room once we're done in the lab."

"We can probably deal with the droids fairly easily," Viggota said. "It's the Mandos that have me worried. Do we know anything about this squad?"

Vette shook her head. "I haven't been able to find anything. Either they're the new kids on the block or they're experienced enough to have kept their heads down."

"I suspect the latter," Kevrisa said. "I doubt a Hutt would have gone to so much trouble securing this facility only to hire inexperienced mercenaries."

Vette absently flicked one of her green _lekku_ back over her shoulder. "If they've got any sense, they'll lock the lab down as soon as they hear fighting, so we'll have a hard time getting in."

"Corso or I should be able to slice the lab doors," Rian said. "Any info on what we're likely to find once we're in?"

The other Twi'lek shook her head. "Not really. My contact hasn't been inside and our scans can't penetrate those walls. From what he's heard, there's an airlock to a clean room before you get into the lab itself."

"The clean room worries me," Kevrisa interjected. "It would be easy to turn it into a trap."

"Especially if we can't cut or blast our way out," Viggota agreed with a grimace. "If we can slice into their computer systems once we get into the building we might be able to block anything they try to do."

"That's a lot to leave resting on a maybe," Jorgan pointed out.

Rian shrugged. "It's the best we've got until we can get inside. We'll have breather units, so they won't be able to gas us, but there's only so many plans we can make until we know exactly what we're facing."

"There might be a manual override," Xirra spoke up quietly. "As an emergency measure, in case the power goes out or something. If we can get to the controls, we might be able to open the doors before the air scrubbers finish their cycle."

"Surprise them before they're expecting us," Corso said with a smile. "I like that idea."

Viggota shrugged, muscles shifting under his dark shirt. "Then I guess all that's left is fighting the Mandos at that point."

"What about the scientists?" Lomning asked. "It is possible the Mandalorians will use them as hostages."

"Or as shields," Kevrisa agreed. "If they are innocent and have been coerced into this work, they should not be harmed."

"It'll be hard to tell who's an innocent and who's not in the middle of a firefight," Rian said. "Not that I'm advocating shooting them all and hoping they're all bad guys, but we might not have a choice."

Kevrisa looked torn. "I suppose we should try our best to not harm them, if they are being used as hostages. But you are right. We may not be able to help it." Jorgan was giving her an appraising look but he didn't speak up. Kevrisa wrapped her hands around her glass but Rian noticed it was still mostly full. No one had really touched their second drinks. "Between all of us, we should be able to handle the Mandalorians. And then we need to destroy the drug and the research, and get ourselves back out of the sector."

"And deal with the scientists," Rian pointed out. "Lomning, you should be able to tell if they're telling the truth about why they're working there, right?"

"I should, unless they have had extensive training in blocking off their minds," he replied.

"I think we've probably done just about all the planning we can before we get in there and see exactly what we're dealing with," Rian said, leaning back in her seat. "When do we want to do this?"

"Let me get in touch with my friend again," Vette said. "I'll see when his shifts are and let you know."

"We'll also need to get some climbing equipment," Viggota said. "I'm not comfortable going down that lift shaft in full armour without some kind of safety harness."

"So we'll make some preparations and wait to hear from you," Rian said, looking at Kevrisa and Vette.

The Sith nodded as Vette tapped the controls on her wrist computer to close the map. "We will keep in touch. You have our comm frequency if you need to contact us."

Vette stood to let Kevrisa out of the booth and Jorgan scrambled hastily to his feet. Viggota stood too, keeping an eye on Jorgan as Kevrisa rose smoothly to her feet and bowed to them. Rian slipped out of the booth, bowing awkwardly back to the Sith. She'd have to get Lomning to teach her how to bow properly so she didn't keep making a fool of herself in front of their new ally.

"We really appreciate your help," Vette said, offering Rian her hand. "There's no way the two of us could do this alone."

"We're glad to help," Rian said. "Something like this shouldn't exist."

Kevrisa and Vette slipped away after a few more awkward goodbyes and Rian glanced over at her crew. "Back to the ship? Or do you want to stay here?"

Viggota collapsed back into the booth with a groan. "I need a drink after that."

Rian laughed and sat back down as well. "Yeah, I get that. Let's stay a bit longer and unwind. Tomorrow's soon enough to deal with everything else."


	10. Chapter 10

Two days later, Rian was hanging just below the top of the lift shaft, gloved hands gripping tightly to the edge above her and her boots braced on the wall. The shaft yawned beneath her, falling away into darkness far below her. The air was still and stale, smelling faintly of engine grease, scorched metal, and dust. Every sound echoed up and down the shaft, making it hard to hear who was speaking. She would have to rely on the comm in her ear. Kevrisa and Vette were patched into their frequency, and it startled Rian the first few times she heard the Sith's Imperial accent in her ear.

Above her, Viggota was braced in the doorway of the maintenance tunnel, grimacing as he held the doors open while Jorgan jammed the tracks to keep them that way. Rian had slipped through as soon as Viggota had forced the doors open to make sure the shaft was as abandoned as it was supposed to be. Corso had yelped in protest, but she trusted the harness that Jorgan had rigged to catch her weight if she slipped, and she was the most maneuverable of her crew.

She shifted one hand to the controls at her belt, letting the cable run out to drop deeper into the shaft. There was no light other than her headlamp, and that barely penetrated the gloom. She reached up her free hand to cover it, plunging the shaft into darkness. She blinked to let her eyes adjust but didn't see any other signs of light. The big doors that should have exited to each level were tightly closed and without power they would be nearly impossible to open. The smaller maintenance hatch had been difficult enough to get into.

"Don't go too far," Viggota said in her earpiece. She tilted her head up to see him peering down the shaft towards her. He turned his head slightly to keep the light from his headlamp from blinding her. "We've got the doors braced. We're ready to start heading down."

Rian nodded, knowing he would see the movement of her light. "I don't see any signs of use," she said. "We should be okay." Above her, Viggota swung into the shaft and started down towards her. His assault cannon was clipped to the back of his armour and his boots hit the wall with a muffled thud. The sound echoed faintly down the shaft.

The climb down to the lab was accomplished in relative silence. The heavily armoured soldiers would never be as quiet as Rian or Lomning but they did their best. She could hear the occasional muffled curse through her headset but aside from a few murmured checks as they descended, no one spoke.

Viggota and Jorgan took the lead as they neared the Hutt's sector, panning their lights across the walls of the shaft to find the right maintenance tunnel. They were all marked, and they had memorized the number of the one Vette's map had said would let them out closest to the Hutt's lab.

"Here," Viggota said quietly, bracing his boots against the wall beside the door. Jorgan shuffled across to join him, reaching for the collapsible pry bar at his belt.

It had been hard enough to open the door at the top of the shaft when they had solid ground to stand on, but it was nearly impossible while dangling from the long cables with nothing to brace against. Kevrisa had offered to cut them a path with her lightsabers but Viggota had thought it might make too much noise, or possibly trip any damage-detecting sensors that might still be active in the lift shaft so they had decided to do it the hard way. Corso and Lomning settled themselves on either side of the door, clamping magnetic handholds to the durasteel walls and letting the two soldiers brace themselves against their bodies. It took several long, agonising minutes, but the doors finally creaked open enough for Rian and Vette to slip inside. They quickly jammed shims into the door track to keep the doors open and the two soldiers let go with groans of relief.

Rian helped everyone into the shaft, unhooking their tethers and clipping them to a magnetic handhold inside the tunnel mouth for easy retrieval later. Vette slipped down the tunnel with Kevrisa to scout ahead with Jorgan watching intently. Rian knew he wasn't happy letting the two of them go off unsupervised, but they were both quick, quiet, and able to take care of themselves. Rian - backed up by Lomning - believed they could be trusted.

As soon as everyone was safely inside the tunnel, Viggota and Jorgan followed Kevrisa and Vette. Rian followed, with Lomning and Xirra behind her and Corso bringing up the rear. The heavily-armoured soldiers were moving as carefully as they could to try to keep from making too much noise. Vette had assured them that the maintenance tunnels on Nar Shaddaa tended to have at least rudimentary soundproofing, as none of the residents would have been happy to hear workers stomping around and using loud machinery in the tunnels near their homes, but it paid to be careful, and they weren't exactly in a rush.

There were regularly-spaced doors leading off the tunnel, all of them closed and the control pads beside them dark. Like the lift shaft, it appeared this tunnel was no longer in use. From what Rian had been able to find out over the past two days, this whole sector was technically controlled by Dengo the Hutt but much of it was abandoned. Dengo was low in the hierarchy of the Hutts on Nar Shaddaa, which explained why he was willing to sink so many of his resources into working on this drug. If he could turn it into the weapon he hoped, he would quickly become one of the most influential Hutts on the entire moon, and possibly in all of Hutt space.

They soon caught up with Kevrisa and Vette where they had stopped by one of the maintenance hatches. Vette had pried the cover off the control panel but had been waiting for the rest of them before doing anything else.

"Based on the blueprints, this tunnel should run along the wall the whole length of the sector. So we'll have a wall at our back, at least, but we can't know for sure what's out there." Vette waved a hand towards the door. "In theory, it's warehouses. This door should let out into an alley between two of them. But who knows what the Hutt might have changed?"

"That's why we brought this," Xirra said, coming up to crouch beside Rian. She had her dark hair braided and pinned up into a crown around her head to keep it out of her way. She dug in one of the pouches at her waist and pulled out the case containing the small camera Rian had insisted they bring. It was on a long, thin cable and could be slipped through tiny cracks to see what was on the other side. Rian sat back on her heels to watch as Vette and Xirra booted it up. She was glad to see Xirra becoming comfortable enough to speak up, even in front of a Sith. The young woman had come a long way from the terrified girl they had first met on Denon.

Jorgan jammed his pry bar into the gap between the doors, opening just enough space for the tiny camera. It took a few moments for them to work the camera through and Rian leaned forward to peer at the small screen.

Thankfully, it looked like the blueprints were still accurate, at least for this area. She could see the walls of buildings on either side of the doors, forming an alley between them. It looked like one of the buildings had a door that led into the alley, but judging by the pile of debris that half-blocked it, it was no longer used. The rest of the narrow space was scattered with the usual sorts of refuse that you would find in any alley in the Undercity - piles of garbage best left unidentified and equipment broken past all hope of salvage. The alley led out to a broader thoroughfare, though the tiny camera couldn't see more than the narrow slice of it at the end of the alley. It was currently deserted, but there was no guarantee that it would stay that way for long. The alley was dimly lit, as was the street beyond. It appeared the lighting strips were failing in this disused part of the Undercity. Rian thought that a lack of maintenance or theft of the materials were the likely culprits, though it was also possible that Dengo's people wanted the area to look unused to deter investigation.

"Clear for now," Rian said, leaning back. "Lomning?"

The Jedi turned his face towards the door, eyes half closed. "I do not sense anyone in the immediate vicinity. None of these buildings appear to be inhabited."

"Then we should move," Kevrisa said. Vette nodded, helping Xirra retract the camera and put it away. "Is everyone ready?"

"Just about," Xirra said, pulling another small device from her belt. She, Rian, and Corso had spent most of the past two days working on it, a communications jammer that they hoped would work to block any cameras that might be in the area from broadcasting to the Hutt's headquarters, and would stop his guards from calling for help. They'd had to leave their own frequency clear of interference but they had deliberately chosen a Republic band. It was highly unlikely a Hutt's guards would be using that one.

Xirra looked up at Rian, who shrugged. "Hit it," she said, hoping for the best. They hadn't exactly had a chance to test it, since Rian was sure that the spaceport wouldn't have been pleased to suddenly lose some of their camera feeds. And since the range was limited, it would have been too easy to trace the cause back to the _Event Horizon_. Xirra sucked in a deep breath and flicked the switch. There was no obvious effect, but hopefully it had worked. With any luck, maybe the Hutt's people would think that the cameras were simply malfunctioning. It might be enough to let them get to the lab without drawing any extra attention.

Viggota and Jorgan snapped their faceplates shut and took point again, prying the door open and holding it while Kevrisa and Vette slipped out. Rian and Lomning followed, with Corso and Xirra behind them. The soldiers let the doors close behind them to make sure nothing looked amiss. It would make a quick exit more difficult, but it was better than letting the Hutt's people easily find - and potentially block - their route.

The ceiling in this part of the Undercity was lower than the upper levels. Combined with the sporadically functioning lights it made the space feel claustrophobic. Most of the buildings went all the way to the ceiling, meaning that they would be forced to stick to the streets rather that travelling along the rooftops. The lab wasn't far, but it still made the back of Rian's neck prickle uncomfortably as they left the relative shelter of the alley.

The buildings that they passed seemed abandoned, not even housing any squatters. It was possible the Hutt had cleared the sector, not wanting any chance of his enemies sneaking spies into the area. The empty streets were eerie, and Rian tightened her grip on her blasters.

They stopped just before they turned the corner towards the lab and Lomning tried the door to the nearest building. It didn't seem to have power, so Jorgan had to use his pry bar to force it open. Rian motioned her crew inside, out of view from the street.

"You ready for this?" she asked Jorgan. He had his deadly Watchman sniper rifle racked next to his assault cannon on his back.

"Always," he replied, already looking towards the stairs up to the next level. According to Vette's blueprints, one of the upper windows of this building overlooked the lab on the next block.

"Okay, here we go," she said. "Everyone else be ready to move as soon as you hear the shot." She followed Jorgan up the stairs, her boots silent on the treads. The Cathar barely made any more noise, even in his heavy armour. He checked each room as they passed, clearing them as quickly as he could. Normally, it would have been Viggota accompanying him, but no one had wanted both of their shields and heavy cannons out of the assault on the door, especially if they weren't able to prevent the guards from triggering the turrets. Rian and Jorgan were both good enough shots to join in the fight from a distance if necessary, though this range would test Rian's skill with her pistols.

The room they were looking for was at the end of the hall, and they approached cautiously. The door was ajar, and they ducked down as they entered to stay out of view from the window. Rian crawled across the room and pressed her back against the wall beside the window before risking a quick glance outside. She could see the lab just down the street, the two guards standing outside the first people they had seen since they had entered the sector. They were scanning the street but didn't seem to bother looking up at the buildings around them. She could see the telltale shapes of pop-up turrets beside them but they were currently neatly folded away.

Jorgan crept across the room to crouch beside her, swinging the Watchman off his back. "What do you see?" he asked, his voice sounding mechanical through his helmet speaker.

"Two guards, just like Vette said," she replied. "One of them's got an eyepatch - that's her contact. The other one's your target."

"Left or right?" Jorgan did one last check of his rifle and thumbed the safety off.

"Her contact is on our left. Your target's on the right."

"Did you see anything else?"

Rian shook her head. "Nope. The street is empty, just like this one. I didn't see any patrols."

Jorgan flipped his faceplate up and rolled his head to loosen his neck. "Now we just have to hope they don't look up."

Rian thumbed her mic on. "We're ready up here," she said.

"We're waiting on your signal," Viggota replied. She nodded to Jorgan, who let out a long slow breath and carefully eased himself into position.

Rian took a quick peek out the window while Jorgan sighted along his rifle. The two guards hadn't noticed the movement and were still scanning the street, looking bored. It definitely worked in their favour, but she'd have never let them get away with it if she had been in charge. Even if the Hutt's people had cleared the area, her team was proof that you couldn't count on it to stay clear.

"Taking the shot," Jorgan murmured so quietly that Rian could barely hear him. His finger tightened slowly on the trigger.

"Go!" Rian hissed into her mic just as the rifle bucked against Jorgan's shoulder. The sharp sound of the shot nearly drowned out her voice but she heard Viggota bark a command to the others. Down the street, the right-hand guard jerked backwards and tumbled to the ground. The other guard visibly bit back a startled shout and lifted his blaster hastily. Rian saw Jorgan switch targets but then the man caught sight of Vette coming around the corner and lowered his weapon again.

"Sorry for the scare," Rian heard the other Twi'lek say in her earpiece as Jorgan pulled back and secured his weapon. "We couldn't exactly warn you ahead of time, though." Rian couldn't hear the man's response, but she and Jorgan were already heading for the stairs. The sound of Jorgan's shot would have carried, and they wanted to get inside the lab fast in case anyone came to investigate.

Rian led the way around the corner, quicker than Jorgan in her lighter armour. Vette's friend had holstered his blaster and Vette was tapping away at her wrist computer to transfer over the promised credits and shuttle pass. He looked up at their approach and Rian could read the relief on his broad face.

"Okay, it's done," Vette said, drawing his attention back to her. She stuck out her hand and he shook it firmly. "Good luck, Bel."

"Thanks," he said. He glanced at the others, nodding perfunctorily, and strode off quickly down the street.

"You're sure it's okay to just let him leave?" Jorgan grumbled, watching him go. The man quickly vanished around the corner out of sight.

"I hope so," Vette said. "I don't think he'll warn the Hutt. He just wants out."

Lomning was nodding. "That is what I sensed from him as well. He has no love for his employer. He wants to find a better life." No one argued with the Jedi's assessment, though Jorgan shifted uncomfortably, his cannon up and ready as he scanned the street.

Rian could feel the space between her shoulder blades crawling with tension as Vette grabbed a key card from the fallen guard and moved to the door. They were too exposed here. She wanted them inside and off the street as quickly as possible.

When the doors hissed open Kevrisa went first, her lightsabers humming to life as soon as she crossed the threshold. She murmured the all-clear and Viggota and Jorgan slung the dead guard's body between them, dragging it into the building and out of view from the street. Rian hustled the rest of her team inside and tapped the controls to lock the door behind them.

She yanked a data spike out of her hip pocket and jammed it into the port beside the control panel. The spike was able to slice through the lab's security faster than Rian or Corso would have been able to, but it was still slower than she would have liked. Even with Xirra's device hopefully jamming the internal cameras and communication, it was only a matter of time before the battle droids figured out they were there.

Once she finally had access to the system, Rian quickly changed the lock codes and then set herself to hunting down any alarm that would trigger at the Hutt's headquarters. She managed to sever that connection, but was having a hard time getting access to the automated turrets that were part of the building's defences. Corso probably could have done it faster, but they would need his blaster rifle against the droids. Her lighter pistols would be less helpful against heavily armoured battle droids.

Rian had tried to argue that Vette could do it instead, since the other Twi'lek had said she was a slicer and was probably a better one than Rian, but Jorgan had been adamantly against it. They didn't know her skillset, he had pointed out, and it was dangerous to let her into the computer systems. If she and Kevrisa were lying, it would be all too easy for her to call the Hutt's reinforcements down on them. Rian hadn't agreed with his assessment, but she had finally nodded her acquiescence. Jorgan had a point, even if she and Lomning both thought Vette could be trusted. Rian knew her skills weren't the best, but she could probably manage it, even if it took longer. She could feel the tension around her rising, but there wasn't much she could do except keep trying and hope for the best. Trying to fight battle droids and dodge turrets at the same time wouldn't go well.

She heard the clanking of metal feet on durasteel at the same time as Kevrisa and Vette. Jorgan reacted a moment later, his helmet muffling his usually sharp hearing. "Incoming," Vette said, ducking back behind the soldiers. Viggota and Jorgan hastily took up positions behind the Sith, activating their shields and readying their assault cannons. Corso tucked himself in just behind them, the corridor too narrow for three heavily armoured men to fight abreast. Lomning stepped in front of Xirra, lifting his hands to shield them both. Rian didn't look up from the console, knowing that if the turrets activated they would be in trouble.

"What about the turrets?" Xirra asked, looking back to where Rian was still feverishly trying to gain full access to the system.

"Still working on it," she said. "There's a pair of them at that junction up ahead. I'm trying to lock them down."

Rian instinctively ducked when the first droid clanked around the corner even as Kevrisa deflected the shot up and away to spark against the ceiling and then leapt forward, her lightsabers humming. Rian tried to block out the sound of the battle as she fought her way deeper into the lab's security system. She could hear the crack of blaster bolts hitting shields and the return retort of the heavy cannons, but as long as no one yelled for help she would keep her eyes on her work.

It took nearly three harrowing minutes to bypass the security on the turrets. They had a manual trigger on them, rather than an automatic one, since they weren't high-tech enough to differentiate friend from foe. She had spotted a purchase order for a pair of automated ones but they hadn't yet been delivered.

The fact that the turrets hadn't been activated yet meant that Xirra's comm blocker was probably doing its job but Rian still deactivated them, hastily writing a bit of code to make them think it was their scheduled maintenance downtime. It wasn't her best work but it should still be enough to keep them out of commission for at least half an hour before anyone could work around her patch.

She spun away from the console as soon as the code had finished compiling, snatching her blasters off her hips as she moved. Kevrisa was in close combat with one of the droids, her yellow lightsabers flashing as she deflected blaster fire. Viggota and Jorgan were shoulder to shoulder across the narrow hallway, heavy guns firing whenever they had an opening. There were three other droids down the hall, tall round shapes bristling with guns and only vaguely humanoid, though with Kevrisa blocking the way forward they were mostly getting in each other's way.

Corso and Vette were behind the two soldiers. Vette's smaller blaster made it easier for her to change her position to get better shots at the battle droids, but she didn't pack much of a punch. Corso was having a hard time lining up his shots past Viggota and Jorgan while also trying to avoid hitting Kevrisa.

At the back of the group, Xirra was crouched behind Lomning, who had his shield up over both of them. The Jedi was watching the combat with narrowed eyes, though Rian wasn't sure if he was looking for an opening or watching to see if anyone got hurt. Kevrisa seemed to be holding her own against the droids at the moment, but she wasn't making any headway either. She had to spend so much time defending against their attacks that she wasn't able to go on the offensive.

Rian slipped past Lomning and Xirra to crouch beside Vette. One of the droids focused its attention past Kevrisa and started taking shots at where Rian's crew was clustered together, and she hastily ducked behind Viggota's shield. "We can't take out the droids with Kevrisa there," she said to Vette. "We're too worried about hitting her. How do you usually do this?"

Vette made a face. "Usually just like this. Vris takes point and I try to shoot around her. But I always hate fighting in places like this. I like to be able to move around and get better angles."

"Me too," Rian said, shaking her head. "What do you think?" she asked into her mic, tapping the back of Viggota's knee where the lack of armoured plates meant that he would feel her touch.

"If Kevrisa could stick to one side of the hallway we could concentrate on the other," he replied. "But I don't want to put her at risk either. I don't want her to feel like she can't dodge if she needs to."

"Don't worry about me," Kevrisa said in Rian's ear. "Take your shots. I can hold here."

Rian looked down the hall to see Kevrisa take a deliberate step to the side, putting her against the left-hand wall. She flicked her lightsabers in front of her, knocking away a pair of bolts, then lashed out with her right hand, scoring a long line in the chassis of one of her opponents. The metal glowed red hot in the wake of the lightsaber's blade but she hadn't hit anything vital and the droid barely faltered.

Viggota and Jorgan didn't waste any time now that they had a clear line of fire. Between their heavy cannons and Corso's rifle, they managed to disable one of the droids with a concentrated assault. A second droid clanked forward to fill the void and Rian snapped a pair of charged shots at one of its knee joints. She didn't quite manage to sever the limb but she did enough damage that it jolted to an awkward stop before it got into a position to flank Kevrisa, which was all she had hoped for. Her pistols didn't pack enough of a punch to take a battle droid down with one shot.

A moment later, the damaged droid crumpled to the floor, the victim of a surgically precise lightsaber strike to its central processor. Kevrisa's spin finished with a slash at one of the other droid's shoulder guns. The barrel clattered to the floor and rolled away. The droid fired a shot at her but without the barrel the bolt fizzled out of the damaged blaster and sparked dangerously. The droid shifted its stance to make up for the damage to its main blaster and Rian and Vette peppered the back of it with a hail of shots. One of them must have hit something important because sparks showered from its lower spine and its legs stopped moving. After that, it was easy enough for Kevrisa and the soldiers to destroy it completely.

With only one droid left, the fight was over very quickly. Rian checked over her crew but no one had been hurt. Xirra had a quick look at Corso, Viggota, and Jorgan's shield generators, tweaking the settings on Viggota's while Kevrisa used the Force to shove the remains of the droids to one side of the hall to clear their path.

They let Kevrisa lead the way deeper into the facility, with Viggota and Jorgan on her heels. The main hall turned to the left and then branched off to three doors, two closed and one open. Rian peered into the open door as they passed. It looked like a break room of some sort, a trio of chairs around a small round table that held a deck of sabacc cards and a tray of chips. There was a small refrigeration unit tucked into the corner of the otherwise bare room, a warmer sitting on its flat top. The soldiers quickly cleared the two closed doors, which led to makeshift barracks where Rian assumed the scientists and Mandalorians slept. Both were currently empty, though there were personal belongings scattered around on the cots and low tables.

Up ahead, the corridor split. "Right? Or straight?" Kevrisa turned to ask Vette.

Vette had a blaster in one hand and a scanner in the other and she frowned down at it. "Right, I think," she said. "Straight ahead looks like a dead end. It used to lead to the back door but I think it's been blocked off from the outside."

Rian kept an eye on the other corridor as Kevrisa turned the corner. She could see a door at the end of the hallway but like Vette said, it didn't look like it was in use. No lights blinked on the control panel beside it but she still didn't like the idea of leaving it behind them without investigating. "I'm going to check it out," she said, jerking her head for Corso to join her. The two of them jogged down to the end of the hallway and Rian tapped at the unresponsive controls, then pried the panel off the wall to peer behind it. The whole mechanism had been disabled. This door wouldn't be opened without a lot of effort.

The rest of the group had paused at the junction to wait for them. "Looks clear," she said. "The whole door's been disabled."

"And probably blocked off from the outside," Vette reminded them. "From what I've been able to find out, they didn't want to give anyone any easy way in or out."

"I am sure that is against fire code," Lomning murmured and Rian grinned at him.

"Something tells me Hutts don't care about things like that," she replied.

"Let's keep moving," Jorgan said, rolling his shoulders. "The longer we stand here the more time they have to get ready for us."

Rian nodded and fell back into position behind Corso. The building was quiet around them other than the familiar hum of air recyclers. She could see the telltale wall panels that concealed more turrets placed liberally through the halls and she was glad she had managed to disable them. Fighting through this many would have seriously taxed them.

The corridor turned to the right up ahead of them and Kevrisa froze, head tilted to one side as if she was listening. Rian glanced behind her to see Lomning half close his eyes, focused on the corner ahead of them. "I believe the lab is just ahead," he murmured softly. I can sense many minds. Some are frightened, but others are eager."

"The scientists and the Mandos," Rian said, checking the charge on her blasters. "Everyone ready?" She waited for the others to nod before she tightened her grip on her blasters and followed her crew around the corner.


	11. Chapter 11

The airlock blocked off the entire hallway, a heavy durasteel door without windows or markings. Rian could see two cameras placed to cover the door and the keypad on the wall beside it, but neither of them pivoted to watch as they approached. It appeared Xirra's jammer was still working but Rian blasted them anyways, just in case.

Vette, with Kevrisa covering her, went to have a look at the keypad. "I can get it open," she announced after a few minutes' work. "But I'm worried they might be able to close it behind us and trap us in the airlock."

"Let's look for the manual releases," Rian said, gesturing for Xirra to follow her as she moved closer.

Kevrisa prodded at the door gingerly with the tip of one lightsaber but the durasteel barely showed a mark. "We will have to do it the hard way," she said with a sigh.

"What about the walls?" Xirra asked in a small voice. She tapped a finger on the metal, which was a slightly different colour than the door. "We might be able to come at it from the side."

The Sith gave her an approving nod and turned her lightsaber on the wall instead. The blade sheared through easily, carving a circular hole. She flicked the cut piece aside to clank against the floor. The edges of the hole glowed orange and Xirra took another step back from the overheated metal.

Rian grinned and clapped Xirra on the shoulder. "Good thinking. That saved us some time." Xirra ducked her head to hide her pleased smile and Rian squeezed her shoulder firmly in approval.

Once the metal had cooled they used the small camera to find the manual release and Kevrisa carved another hole, this one more precisely placed. The manual release was almost impossible to reach from this angle, but Xirra's arms were thin enough to squeeze past the internal wall supports and get the door open. Viggota jammed a shim into the track to make sure it stayed that way no matter what the Mandalorians tried.

The airlock was small, only about ten feet long, and ended in another sturdy door. The interior walls were made of the same treated durasteel as the doors so the trick with the manual release wouldn't work here. Rian leaned through the doorway and blasted the pair of cameras that were watching the room to keep the Mandalorians blind.

"Masks," she said, turning back to her crew. "I doubt the air system will work with the door open but let's not take any chances." She tugged her respirator off her belt and settled it over her nose and mouth. The first couple of breaths tasted faintly of chemicals but she quickly got used to it. Viggota and Jorgan's helmets had built in filtration systems but they each had a mask on their belt as well, just in case.

Kevrisa made Vette wait as she strode into the room but when no gas hissed out of the vents and no turrets popped up she gestured for the Twi'lek to follow. Vette hunched over the interior door panel, fingers flying over the keys. Rian wished she had been able to get another data spike but even on Nar Shaddaa they weren't easy to find, nor were they cheap. The payment the Republic was offering for this job had barely covered the first one.

Viggota and Jorgan followed them into the airlock but Rian held the others back in case things went sour. Maybe she was being paranoid, but she didn't want all of them trapped in the small space. Just then, the panel blinked green, and the heavy door hissed open. Kevrisa launched herself through the air as soon as the gap was wide enough, and Viggota and Jorgan charged in after her.

"Go!" Rian shouted, but Corso was already moving. Lomning held back just long enough to make sure Rian and Xirra were with him before following. Vette fell in beside Rian, both of them protected by the Jedi's shield.

The lab opened up ahead and to their right. It looked like it took up most of the interior of the building, so the Hutt must have knocked out walls as well as adding the airlock. Long workbenches dominated the centre of the space but Rian could see rows of computer banks and other machinery lining the walls. The workbenches were covered with beakers and odd glass cases that were attached to the ceiling with long tubes and Rian grimaced. They'd have to be careful to not hit anything dangerous.

The Mandalorians were ready for them but Rian didn't think they had expected a Sith. Kevrisa's leap startled them and she landed so close to one of the mercs that he didn't even have time to get off a shot before her lightsabers burned through his armour and nearly cut him in two. The other mercs were quick to shake off their shock, their heavy guns hammering Viggota and Jorgan's shields as the soldiers crowded into the doorway to shield the others. Besides the one Kevrisa had killed there were two Mandalorians directly ahead of them and three to the right, all wearing full-face helmets and heavy armour painted with blue and grey geometric shapes. Corso joined Jorgan on that side, the three using their shields to form a box in front of the airlock.

"Drop your weapons and surrender!" Viggota shouted, his helmet speaker amplifying his voice. When his only response was a hail of blaster bolts Rian saw him shrug and lift his assault cannon to return fire.

Blaster fire from underneath the long workbenches drew Rian's attention to the scientists, and she dropped to a knee for a better angle and started picking them off one by one. It was possible they had been coerced by the Hutt or the Mandalorians, but they were shooting at her people and she wasn't going to just stand by and let them. They could have surrendered when Viggota had offered. A stack of heavy crates beside the door that provided her with excellent cover from the Mandalorians while she concentrated on the scientists. She could see at least a dozen from her vantage point, though they were falling quickly under her blasters.

Behind her, Rian could hear alarms screaming on someone's shield generator. The Mandalorians all had heavy blaster rifles and the shields would only hold up so long under that sort of assault. Rian heard one of the Mandalorians laugh and shout something to his fellows about how Rian and her crew were on the ropes.

She peered out from behind her stack of crates to find the speaker and hit him square in the faceplate with a double shot from both blasters. It wasn't enough to hurt him but the impact rocked him back on his heels and shut him up. She taunted him in Mando'a to keep his attention on her to hopefully give Xirra enough time to fix the generator. He swung his rifle towards her but before he could get a shot off he went flying across the room to crash into the far wall. He stood slowly, looking a little woozy. "Thanks, Lomning!" she shouted, turning her attention back to the scientists.

" _There's two of them!_ " she heard one of the mercs shout in Mando'a and one of Kevrisa's opponents, a woman with an elaborate crest painted on her chestplate, replied with a barked command. Rian couldn't make it out clearly, but she thought it was something about an injector. The first speaker, a tall man in battle-scarred blue armour, grabbed something from a pouch at his thigh and ducked behind one of the tables, obviously trying to get closer to the group in the doorway.

"Watch out!" Rian snapped into her mic. "One of them's on the move. He's got something in his hand - the leader said something about an injector."

"Probably a dose of the drug," Lomning said, voice sounding a little strained. His lightsaber glowed brightly in his right hand and his left was flung outwards to help him hold his Force shield up under the assault from the other two Mandos.

"Keep him away from Lomning and Kevrisa," Viggota said, grunting at the recoil as he took another shot with his assault cannon. The Mandalorian leader had a shield up too and so far he and Kevrisa hadn't put much of a dent in it. Rian couldn't hear the alarms blaring any more so Xirra must have managed to get the shield working again but she wasn't sure how long it would hold.

Kevrisa pushed forward to try to get to the Mandalorian leader, who was staying behind her underling to keep enough distance between them to use her rifle. The Sith was dodging bolts, flicking them away with her lightsabers when they came too close. She struck out with one of her lightsabers but it skimmed harmlessly off the guard's armour as the merc threw himself backwards and fired off another quick pair of shots. Rian saw one of them hit Kevrisa high on the chest or shoulder but the Sith never faltered in her attack. Vette fired off a shot at the merc's legs, trying to distract him so Kevrisa could get closer.

Rian saw the last of the scientists throw away his blaster, probably realizing that all he was just going to get himself killed like the others, and she turned her attention back to the Mandalorians. She couldn't get a clear shot at the one with the injector but she kept at it, shooting under the long tables and trying to hit the weaker spots in his armour around his knees and hips. Kevrisa and Viggota stayed focused on the leader and her guard while Corso and Lomning had managed to kill or disable the one that Lomning had hurt, leaving just one more merc at the far end of the room. Jorgan left them to it and shifted his focus to the man with the injector. The Cathar couldn't get a clear shot from where he was standing and he took a few steps past Rian's position to try to get a better angle.

The Mandalorian with the injector saw Jorgan's approach and abandoned any pretense at stealth to rush at the Cathar. His one-handed grip on his rifle sent most of his shots wide and the others spattered harmlessly against Jorgan's shield. He ducked around Jorgan's shield and jabbed the injector at the Cathar, clearly aiming for the gap at his elbow, but Jorgan jerked back and it skimmed harmlessly off his armour.

Jorgan responded by slamming his helmet into his opponent's faceplate, forcing the mercenary back a pace, which gave the Cathar just enough space to lift his cannon and unload a volley at point-blank range into the man's chest. The heavy bolts ripped through his chestplate and the injector fell from his fingers as the man dropped. It skittered off across the floor and disappearing under one of the tables.

Kevrisa and Viggota had managed to down the other Mandalorian, leaving only the leader to Rian's left and Corso and Lomning's target to her right. They seemed to have the man pinned down so Rian shifted her attention to the leader instead. She could see a few warning lights blinking on the Mandalorian's shield generator but it was still holding. Rian abandoned her position behind the crates and rolled under the nearest table instead. The angle gave her a clear shot at the generator and it only took two shots before she punched through it and the leader's shield failed. Kevrisa leapt forward, her lightsabers shearing through the woman's hastily upraised rifle, but the resulting explosion from the tibanna gas canister forced the Sith to duck away. It was just enough to let the Mandalorian snatch a vibroknife from her side that was practically long enough to qualify as a sword, and she met Kevrisa's next attack squarely.

Rian was surprised that Kevrisa's lightsabers didn't slice right through the Mandalorian's blade and the woman laughed as she blocked the Sith's first strike. Kevrisa and the Mandalorian spun around each other, weapons clashing. The merc was good, parrying each of the Sith's attacks, and she moved faster in her heavy armour than Rian had thought possible. Rian could barely find an opening for a shot and the others, with their bigger, unwieldy rifles didn't stand a chance. She and Vette peppered the Mandalorian with shots when they could be sure they would miss Kevrisa but their blasters didn't do much against her heavy armour.

"Clear on this side," Corso said through the open channel as Rian climbed out from under the table to try to get a better angle on the Mandalorian leader. "I can only see one scientist, but he's unarmed."

"Same here," Viggota said as Corso and Jorgan came up beside him. "Kevrisa, see if you can disengage. We can't shoot without putting you in danger."

One of Kevrisa's lightsabers burned the tip off one of the Mandalorian's shoulder plates but that barely slowed the woman down. She scored a deep wound across Kevrisa's thigh with her vibroblade, and the Sith staggered backwards. Vette shouted and Lomning started forwards, hand outstretched, though Rian didn't think the Jedi would be able to get close enough to help Kevrisa without putting himself in danger from the merc.

Xirra's sudden scream jerked Rian's attention away from the fight. Lomning was a few feet behind her, the last scientist gripping his outstretched hand. The Mandalorian's discarded injector was jammed deep into the meat of Lomning's palm, the vial holding the drug empty.

"Lomning!" Rian shouted, blasting the scientist in the back of the head with both pistols. She didn't even bother to watch him fall as she scrambled to the Jedi's side. He was staring at the injector in horror when she skidded to a stop beside him and clipped her blasters to her hips. She yanked the injector from his hand and threw it away behind her. "What can I do?"

"Nothing," Lomning said crisply, stirring suddenly into action. His eyes went distant and then his lightsaber came up and around in a smooth arc. Xirra screamed again when it sliced through his arm just above the elbow. His forearm fell to the ground, the charred fabric of his robes smoking faintly. Rian could smell scorched meat even through her mask and she swallowed hard at the sight of the neatly cauterized stump. "I should be all right. The drug had not progressed any further through my bloodstream."

He swayed suddenly and Rian jammed her shoulder under his, wrapping her arm around his waist to help support his weight. "You're going into shock, Jedi," she told him, bracing him as best she could. Across the room, Kevrisa had finally gained the upper hand. The Mandalorian leader's left arm hung limply at her side, a deep cut burned into her shoulder under the damaged pauldron, but she was still parrying Kevrisa's strikes. The Sith was trying to press her advantage but her injured leg was hampering her movement.

"I am aware," Lomning said, eyes fluttering shut as his lightsaber powered down. Rian dug into a pouch at her hip for a stimpack, flicking the cap off with her thumb and pressing it to the side of Lomning's neck just below the edge of his respirator. The device hissed quietly as it pumped its stimulant into the Jedi's system. "Thank you; that should help."

"Kevrisa, disengage now," Jorgan's voice broke into the comm channel, tight with anger. Rian looked over to see that he had braced his Watchman along the top of one of the tables and was sighting down the barrel at the Mandalorian leader. Rian didn't think the woman had noticed that she was in a sniper's sights.

Kevrisa pushed forward to throw the merc off balance then leapt backwards, stumbling slightly as her injured leg took her weight. The retort of Jorgan's Watchman was very loud in the enclosed space of the lab. The shot caught the Mandalorian square in the head and she jerked back and fell gracelessly to the floor.

There was a moment of breathless silence and then everyone seemed to start shouting at once. Corso and Viggota moved to Lomning's other side, taking the bulk of the Jedi's weight. Jorgan racked his Watchman on his back and stalked angrily around the room with his pistol out, making sure none of the scientists or Mandalorians were still a threat.

Vette hurried over to Kevrisa, checking the Sith over carefully and fussing over the cut on Kevrisa's leg until the woman waved her away impatiently. "I am fine. We have work to do."

With Corso and Viggota's help, Rian was able to lower Lomning down to sit on the floor with his back against the wall. The Jedi carefully cradled the stump of his left arm against his chest and hissed out a long breath through his mask. "This has entirely thrown off my balance," he said, handing his lightsaber to Rian.

She knelt beside him to clip the metal tube to his belt. "You're awfully calm about this," she told him. "Do you need another stim?"

He shook his head slowly. "I do not believe so. I had a choice - my arm or my sanity. It was an easy one to make."

"If you're sure," she said, understanding the choice but she still thought he was eerily calm. "Do you need anything else?"

He shook his head again. "The wound is cauterized. I will be fine until we can return to a proper medical facility."

"Well, then we'd better finish up so we can get you to one." She looked up at her crew. "He's stable for now. Let's get to work."

Rian set Vette and Corso to work on the computers, with Xirra hovering over their shoulders and offering advice. One whole side of the room looked like it was devoted to storage and Jorgan forced each door open with his pry bar rather than waiting for someone to slice the locks. The small rooms were mercifully bare, with only a few containers on their shelves. The Cathar was practically vibrating with rage but other than the doors he didn't have any outlets for it. Rian noticed that he made an obvious effort to stay as far away as possible from Kevrisa, even when the Sith came to kneel painfully at Lomning's side. She was wearing armoured pants similar to Rian's but the Mandalorian's vibroblade had torn through the plasteel panels and blood had soaked into the fabric and started to pool on the ground around her knee in moments.

"Are you alright, Master Lomning?" she asked, concern plain in her voice. Rian thought that Kevrisa was probably the only one in the room that truly understood what Lomning was going through. She set a hand gently on his shoulder and Lomning stirred enough to blink up at her in surprise.

"You do not have to do that," he said quietly, and Rian wondered what exactly was going on. "You are hurt. Conserve your energy."

"I have enough for both of us," the Sith replied.

Rian realized that while Kevrisa didn't seem to be able to heal the way that Lomning could, she must be able to share her energy with him somehow to lend him strength to focus on his own injury. She was loathe to interrupt until Kevrisa swayed suddenly, her eyes drifting shut. Rian had to jump to catch her before she ended up on the floor beside Lomning. Kevrisa's eyes snapped open in surprise and Rian jerked her hands back, unsure how Sith felt about being touched. "I've got kolto packs," she said, digging into one of the pouches at her waist. Kevrisa sat down awkwardly beside Lomning and stretched her leg out, nodding for Rian to continue.

This was one of the most surreal things Rian had ever found herself doing, crouched on the floor of a lab that still smelled of blaster fire and scorched meat and treating the wound of a Sith. She had to use her own knife to widen the hole in Kevrisa's pants to clean and dress the wound properly, but the Sith didn't make a sound through the whole process. Rian looked up at one point to see Jorgan and Viggota having what looked like an angry conversation at the other end of the room but they must have switched to a private channel because she couldn't hear a word.

"I'm in!" Vette announced suddenly and Corso leaned over to peer at her screen. He pointed at something and Vette nodded. "Yeah, that's what I think too." She hunched over the keyboard again, tapping away, and Corso turned back to his own screen.

When Rian turned back to Kevrisa, the Sith was giving Vette a fond look and Rian ducked her head to hide her own smile as she finished bandaging the wound. She'd managed to get the bleeding stopped and pinched the edges together with surgical glue. She slathered it with kolto gel and wrapped a bandage around it, but Kevrisa really needed to see a proper medic. "That's as good as I can get it," she said, leaning back to clean her hands off. "Try not to reopen it if you can."

"No promises," the Sith said, bracing herself against the wall as she stood and tested her weight on her injured leg. Rian noticed a blaster burn high on her chest as well, but it looked like her armour had stopped the shot and it didn't seem to be bothering her. "My thanks."

Rian nodded briskly and packed her first aid kit back into her belt. Lomning was staring blankly across the room, blinking slowly, and she laid a hand gently on his shoulder. "Are you all right, Jedi? I need to go help the others."

"I am fine," he told her, though his eyes never quite managed to focus on her face. Still, they needed to get out of here as quickly as possible and it would happen faster if she was helping.

"Let's get those chemicals taken care of," she said as she stood. "Then we need to get moving."

Rian glanced into each of the storage rooms in turn, but the last one was the most interesting. One whole wall was taken up with an unfamiliar machine that was helpfully labelled "Disposal Unit" in Huttese and Galactic Basic. A hatch surrounded with warning symbols opened onto a durasteel chute that led to a small tank. A big red button was set next to the clamps that would lock the hatch closed.

"Looks like an industrial incinerator," Viggota said from the doorway. "I've seen them used to get rid of depleted ordinance."

"Good," Rian said, turning away from the machine. "Let's get the chemicals in here and get rid of them. I want to get out of here." She wanted to talk to him and Jorgan to find out what was going on, but this was not the place.

With the two soldiers helping it only took a few minutes to load each container of chemicals into the incinerator unit and Rian took great glee in hitting the red button. The whine of the high-powered laser made her wish she had ear protection to go along with her respirator but it got the job done in moments.

"We're clear here," Viggota said when Rian stuck her head out of the room to see if there were any more chemicals that needed to be dealt with. He and Jorgan had even cleaned off the workbenches, down to the last vial.

"Good," she replied. "Corso, Vette, how are you doing?"

"Almost done," Corso said distractedly. He looked awkward, perched on one of the stools in his heavy armour, but he hadn't complained.

"Let's rig those charges," Viggota said to Jorgan, who followed his former CO without a word. Rian was getting worried about him, but she wasn't going to do anything about it here. She trailed after the soldiers, helping with the grisly task of dragging the bodies out of the way of the machinery so Viggota could place the explosives.

Kevrisa moved to help but Rian waved her off quickly. "No way. I don't want you reopening that wound. You just rest until we're done." The Sith gave her an amused look but obediently went to lean against the wall near where Vette was still furiously typing away at her terminal.

Vette and Corso finished wiping the computer systems at about the same time that Viggota and Jorgan were done setting the explosives, and Rian moved to crouch beside Lomning, ducking her head to meet his eyes. "Lomning? Are you ready to move?"

"I believe so," he said, reaching up with his remaining hand. She grabbed it and hauled him to his feet and Corso hurried over to put his shoulder under Lomning's to help steady him.

Rian made a face behind her respirator but she had to ask. "What about your arm?"

"Leave it," the Jedi said quietly. "It cannot be reattached, not after being severed by a lightsaber. And if the drug is still viable, it might kill me to even attempt it."

"You're the expert," she replied with a shrug, though she felt uncomfortable just leaving it there.

"It should be destroyed," Kevrisa said quietly from nearby. "We have removed all other traces of the drug, after all."

Rian heard a clatter as Jorgan turned so fast he banged into one of the workbenches and knocked over an empty jar. "She is right," Lomning said before the Cathar could say anything. "Did I hear that there is an incinerator?"

There was a long, uncomfortable pause before Rian gritted her teeth and bent down to pick up Lomning's severed forearm. She wouldn't make any of her crew do this. The blue fingers were curled in slightly towards the palm, a drop of blood turning sticky where the injector had struck. It was surprisingly light in her hands and she tried not to think too hard as she carried it across the lab and opened the hatch to the incinerator.

The whine of the laser drowned out any sound that her crew might have made, and she forced her hands steady before she rejoined them. "Let's go," she said, glad to hear that her voice didn't waver. "I want to get Lomning to a medic as soon as possible."

"Good," Viggota said, straightening from where he had been leaning against the wall by the airlock door. "We're set to blow everything as soon as we're clear. Lomning, stay with Rian. We'll make sure the path is clear."

"I am fine," he protested as he started to drift towards the door. Kevrisa followed close behind him, looking worried.

"I still think you're in shock, Jedi. I'm not going to trust your judgement for a while." Rian bumped her shoulder gently against Lomning's good arm. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

He offered her a nod but didn't protest any further. She didn't see any lines of pain around his eyes, but they were hazy and distant. She assumed he was doing some Jedi trick to mask his pain for now. Remembering what he had done on Taris to keep himself awake, she assumed it was taking a lot of his energy. She vowed to keep an especially close eye on him.


	12. Chapter 12

The street outside the lab was still clear, and they abandoned all pretense at stealth as they made for their exit as fast as Lomning could move. Kevrisa was limping heavily on her injured leg but she and Vette went ahead to scout their path without a word. When the others joined them at the maintenance tunnel Rian could see fresh blood seeping through the bandage.

While the soldiers rigged the harnesses back up Rian cut away the bandage and frowned at the wound. The surgical glue hadn't held, and the cut was bleeding steadily again. "Just wrap it tightly," Kevrisa said when Rian tried to wipe away the blood to reapply the glue. "I will be fine until I can get it treated."

"If you're sure," Rian said dubiously, reaching for a fresh roll of bandages. She tied them as tightly as she could and Kevrisa bit her lip hard to keep from making a sound.

"We're ready here," Viggota said quietly. He and Jorgan already had their harnesses on, and the Cathar was buckling Lomning into one as well. "We'll go first, and haul Lomning up when we get to the winch."

"Corso, Xirra, go with them," Rian said, scrubbing her hands with alcohol wipes from her kit to clean Kevrisa's blood off of them. "I'll go up with Lomning to keep an eye on him." Jorgan's helmeted head jerked up sharply but she shot him a stern look to keep him quiet. She knew he didn't want to leave her and Lomning with Kevrisa but there was no way she was going to send Kevrisa and Vette up right after Jorgan either. His movements were stiff with anger as he clipped himself onto one of the lines and started his ascent. Viggota let him get a few feet into the shaft before following. She checked Corso and Xirra's harnesses before letting them go next.

Vette reached up and thumbed off her mic once they were out of sight. "Thanks," she whispered to Rian. "Your Cathar is pissed. I don't want to be anywhere near him right now." She winked and turned her mic back on as Kevrisa rolled her eyes and Rian stifled a laugh. She had thought she was being subtle.

Rian buckled herself into her harness and leaned out into the shaft to watch her crew ascend. She heard a muffled grunt through her earpiece as Viggota hauled himself into the other maintenance tunnel and pulled Corso and Xirra up after him. "We're ready up here," he said.

"Come on, Lomning," Rian said and carefully maneuvered him to the edge of the shaft. "Hold on tightly. I'll be right with you."

"Good luck," Vette whispered as Rian felt the slack in her line tighten. She grabbed the line with one hand and Lomning's robes in the other just as her feet left the ground. Lomning wasn't able to do much more than hang on with his one remaining hand as the winches slowly drew them upwards, so it was up to her to brace her boots against the lift shaft to make sure they didn't bang into the wall. The ascent felt much longer than the trip down, but they finally made it to the top. She let Viggota and Corso pull Lomning up first, bracing him as best she could so he didn't get jostled too badly, then climbed nimbly up herself.

"We're up," she said into her mic as Corso and Jorgan carefully guided Lomning to sit on the floor with his back against the wall. Xirra sank down next to him, leaning against his right side with her arms wrapped around her knees. "You two are next." Kevrisa and Vette ascended faster than she and Lomning, though the Sith needed Viggota's help to climb up into the maintenance tunnel. Rian could already see spots of blood on the fresh bandage.

"What's our plan?" Corso asked, looking at the injured Force-users. "Do we know where the nearest med centre is?"

"We can return to our ship," Kevrisa said. She had her arm wrapped around Vette's shoulders and was leaning slightly on the much shorter Twi'lek. "We have a fully stocked medbay."

"If you're sure," Rian replied dubiously. In her opinion Kevrisa's wound needed professional attention but for all she knew the Sith had a medical droid or even a doctor onboard too. She was more than capable of making her own decisions.

Viggota bent over his wrist computer to detonate the charges in the lab. They were too far away to hear the blast but Rian felt a faint vibration shiver through the soles of her boots. "There's a Republic base not too far from here," he said once he confirmed all the charges had gone off. "They'll have a facility that I'm sure we can use. Jorgan's going to radio ahead."

Rian was glad that Jorgan was still talking to someone, even if he had cut himself off from the rest of the comm channel. "Sounds good," she said. "Let's get moving." It took her and Corso both to get Lomning back on his feet, and she tucked her shoulder under Lomning's good arm to steady him as they walked. The two soldiers went on ahead, with Xirra and Corso behind Rian and Kevrisa and Vette bringing up the rear.

Ahead of them, she saw Jorgan stop and pull out his pry bar, so they must have reached the exit. "Hang on," she called. "We should check it first. Xirra?" The girl hurried past her, already pulling out the small camera.

Jorgan forced the doors open a crack and Xirra threaded the camera through. "Clear," she said, so quietly that Rian only heard it through her earpiece.

"I guess this is where we split up," Viggota said to Kevrisa and Vette. "Take care of yourselves."

The green Twi'lek nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I can't imagine we'd be really welcome at your base," she said with a laugh.

"It was good to work with you," Viggota said, offering Vette his hand and bowing to Kevrisa. The Sith returned it in kind, though Rian noticed that she kept a hold of Vette's arm to help keep her balance.

"We appreciate your help," she said, turning to bow to the rest of Rian's crew. Rian caught at Lomning's arm when he returned the bow to make sure he didn't overbalance. "I hope that you make a full recovery, Master Lomning."

"Yeah, take care of him," Vette added, glancing to Rian. She returned the look and nodded somberly. She was glad to see that Kevrisa and Vette were also worried about Lomning.

Rian nodded in agreement, reaching out to clasp hands with Vette. "I'll keep you updated," she promised, and Vette smiled.

"You'd better," she said, giving Rian's hand a squeeze. "Thanks."

Behind her, the door screeched as Jorgan forced it open, flooding the tunnel with the multi-coloured neon lights of Nar Shaddaa's streets. Rian reached up to flick off her headlamp and she stuck it in her pocket as Viggota and Jorgan jumped down out of the tunnel. Corso and Xirra followed, and Rian tucked her shoulder under Lomning's arm again and nudged him into motion. He nearly stumbled over the lip in the doorway before Viggota reached up to help him down.

Kevrisa and Vette nodded to Rian and her crew and slipped quietly away. Rian fell in behind Jorgan and Viggota, with Corso and Xirra behind her. They attracted a few odd looks and whispers but no one dared to say anything to the heavily armed and armoured group.

"Is Lomning okay?" Xirra asked quietly in her earpiece.

"I don't know," Rian replied with a sigh. "He keeps saying he's fine, but I'm not sure."

"I am fine," Lomning said, smiling beatifically, but his blue skin was pale, save for two spots of bright colour high on his cheeks and his eyes were glassy.

Rian shook her head and turned back to Xirra. "See? I think he's not quite all here at the moment."

Xirra chewed on her lip, looking worried. "I hope he's okay."

"He'll be fine," Rian reassured her, though privately she was just as concerned. She hoped Lomning had managed to keep the drug from getting into his system with his drastic action, but there was no way they could know for sure without proper tests.

By the time Jorgan finally led the way up to a scuffed durasteel door on a quiet side street Rian was struggling to support Lomning. It felt like he was getting heavier on her shoulder, his feet dragging and his pace slowing. The door hissed open at their approach and Rian looked up suspiciously.

"It's okay," Viggota said in her earpiece. "Jorgan radioed that we're in range. We can go right in."

She shifted her grip on Lomning and let the soldiers lead the way into the building. The interior was plain, but cleaner than the beat-up exterior suggested. A pair of Humans were waiting for them just inside. One was a large woman, nearly as tall as Viggota, with a medical scanner in one hand. She was dark-skinned, probably around middle age, with a shock of white hair cropped short against her scalp. The other was a short but stocky older man with a bald head and a red beard going grey on his chin. Both were wearing nondescript clothing and had a repulsorlift stretcher between them. A hallway and a pair of doors, one open and one closed, led deeper into the building.

The woman hastened forward as Lomning stumbled over the threshold and reached out to steady him with her free hand. "I'm Bria. I'm here to help."

"I'm Rian, and this is Lomning." Rian ducked out of the way as Bria took Lomning's weight and steered him towards the stretcher. She rolled her head on her neck and shook her shoulders out. Lomning was heavy. "He's a Jedi. He's been controlling his pain and trying to heal himself but I think he's getting to the end of his strength. He was going into shock earlier so I gave him a stim injection but it's probably just about worn off by now." She peered up at Lomning, whose eyes were unfocused and mostly closed.

"What happened?" Bria asked, urging Lomning carefully onto the stretcher.

Rian shared a look with Viggota as he pulled his helmet off. She wasn't sure how much information Jorgan had shared about their mission and what she should say.

"He got injected with a really dangerous toxin and had to cut his arm off to keep it from spreading and possibly killing him," she finally settled on, watching Bria run her scanner across Lomning's body.

Bria shared a grimace with the other medic. "I'm not picking up anything on my initial scan so with any luck he was successful. But we'll have to take some blood samples to be sure." The other medic tapped the controls on the stretcher and started pushing it towards the hallway. "You can wait in the break room. We'll let you know once we have news."

Rian trailed along behind the medics, trying to catch Lomning's eye. His gaze was unfocused and sweat was starting to bead on his forehead, but he blinked slowly up at her. "I will be fine, Captain," he told her in a good approximation of his normal voice. "Can you please contact my master on Coruscant to inform her of what has happened?"

"You can use our comms," Bria said, placing a hand gently on Lomning's shoulder when he shifted as if he was going to sit up. "Through there." She pointed at an open doorway on one side of the hall. Rian could see a table and chairs, and a couch pushed up against the far wall. "We need to get him stabilized."

Rian nodded, lingering in the entrance and watching as Bria and the other medic steered the stretcher into a room at the far end of the hall. The door hissed shut behind them and Rian closed her eyes briefly. She hoped Lomning would be okay.

There was a small warming unit and a cooler tucked into one corner of the break room. A counter held empty mugs and a caf machine, and a beat-up comm terminal was wedged between the couch and the far corner. "Someone pour me some caf?" she asked, unzipping her armoured jacket but leaving it on. Viggota and Corso were already stripping out of parts of their armour, leaving their helmets and gauntlets by the door with their weapons, but Jorgan stationed himself in the doorway with his back to the room and his arms crossed. Rian glanced at Jorgan and arched a brow at Viggota, but the big Human just shook his head so she let it drop. Now wasn't the time.

Xirra poked at the caf machine until it started humming and held a cup under the nozzle. Rian accepted the mug from her and took a sip to bolster herself before flicking the comm unit on. She programmed in the holofrequency for Lomning's master from her wrist computer and unit beeped a couple of times before she heard the click as it connected and a holo image flickered into view above the projector.

The Jedi was an older Human woman that Rian remembered from their brief meeting on Tython when they had picked up the young Jedi to take to Taris. Her dark hair was pulled back from her lined face and she was wearing pale robes. Rian cleared her throat and stood up straighter as the Jedi's holo image turned to look at her. "Master Yuon Par?"

The Jedi paused a moment in confusion and then her face cleared. "Captain Tsel'rianeen," she said with a brief nod of her head. Her brow furrowed. "Is Lomning all right?" she asked, tilting her head as if trying to peer around Rian to spot him.

Rian hesitated, unsure of how much Lomning had told his Master. She assumed he had probably told her everything but Rian didn't want to overstep her bounds. "He's been injured, but he should be okay," Rian said. "He's lost an arm, but he is currently being treated by Republic medics."

Lomning's Master sagged slightly, one hand coming up to cover her face. It was more emotion that Rian had expected from a Jedi, even having been around Lomning for so long. "Will he recover?"

"We hope so," Rian said, unwilling to lie. "I'm worried about him, but the doctors will do their best. I'd like to bring him to Coruscant for further treatment once he's stabilized."

"Yes, that would be best," the Jedi said, dropping her hand to her side. "Please contact me again once you have more information. I will ensure that the healers are prepared for your arrival." She bowed solemnly and cut the channel.

"I guess we get to play the waiting game now," Rian said, sinking back onto the couch with a groan. She wanted nothing more than a strong drink but her job wasn't over yet. "I should go get the ship ready to launch. It's going to take three and a half days to get to Coruscant from here. I don't want to waste any time."

"We can go with you, Captain," Corso said, gesturing to Xirra. "It won't take long with us helping."

"Go ahead," Viggota said, accepting a mug of caf from Xirra with a nod of thanks. "We'll keep you posted if there's any news here."

"All right," Rian said, draining her mug and standing reluctantly. She set it on the counter while Corso snapped his gauntlets back into place. "Call me the second you hear anything."

Jorgan stood aside stiffly to let them pass, though he still didn't say anything. Rian almost lifted a hand to clap him on the shoulder but she hesitated, unsure of her welcome, and the moment passed.

Rian, Corso, and Xirra had barely reached the _Event Horizon_ when Rian's comm chirped. She closed the airlock door behind her and opened the channel. "Vig?"

"They've done what they can for him," he said without preamble. "His blood tests came back clean, and they've loaded him up on painkillers and wrapped his arm in kolto. We're ready to move him to the ship."

"We'll be ready to launch by the time you get here," Rian said, hurrying up the steps to the main level. The channel clicked shut as she headed for the bridge. "Xirra, engine room. Make sure we're ready as fast as you can. Corso, get on the radio and get us launch clearance." She half fell into the pilot's chair and reached for the controls. The ship hummed to life under her hands.

Corso slid into his seat and pulled on his headset. "Launch control this is the _XS Event Horizon_ requesting immediate permission to launch to Coruscant." He paused to listen and gave Rian a thumbs up. "Thanks, Control. Appreciate your help." He closed the channel and leaned back. "Our launch window opens in fifteen minutes."

Rian nodded and flicked on the intercom. "Xirra, we launch in fifteen. Seetoo, the others will be coming in soon. I'll need your help to get Lomning settled in the medbay."

She had launched faster before - having someone gunning for you was a great incentive - but things went more smoothly when everything happened in the proper order. The engines were just reaching full rotation when she heard the airlock door open.

Corso jerked halfway out of his seat and turned to look at her guiltily. She waved him off, more than understanding his desire to make sure Lomning was all right. She was tempted to go herself, but someone needed to stay on the bridge. "Go ahead. I've got everything under control here." The clatter of his boots on the decking faded away as he ran for the medbay. The airlock door sensor blinked closed just as the countdown ticked over to zero, and Rian reached for the intercom button again. "Launch window is open. Are you ready in there?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Viggota responded immediately. She could hear Corso and Seetoo talking in the background but they weren't close enough to the mic for her to make out their words. "I'll send Corso back up in a minute."

"No, don't worry; I've got this," she replied and flicked the channel closed. She eased back gently on the stick, lifting as smoothly as she could manage. Through the viewport, she watched the smoggy orange glow of Nar Shaddaa's atmosphere give way to the endless black of space. She put Nal Hutta and its moon at her heels and jumped to hyperspace as soon as she was clear of the planet's gravity well.

It took Rian another ten minutes to check over the ship's systems and make sure they were on course, though she could privately admit to herself that she was stalling. She felt better with her hands and mind busy, rather than dwelling on what had happened to Lomning, and what was yet to come. She had seen people lose limbs before and once the shock wore off, the trauma would set in. Admittedly, she had never seen it happen to a Jedi, but she knew Lomning would be in for a rough road.

She finally had to admit there was nothing more for her to do on the bridge and she stood reluctantly. She didn't exactly want to face evidence of her failure as a captain - she had never gotten anyone under her command hurt this badly before, let alone a Jedi.

The medbay was crowded, with her entire crew clustered around Lomning's bed. Corso shifted to the side to make room for her as soon as he saw her, and she paused beside him. Lomning was asleep, or drugged, with a blanket pulled up over his bare chest. The stump of his arm was thickly wrapped in kolto-soaked bandages and he had a tube in his other hand with a steady drip of medicine - she assumed painkillers and antibiotics, and probably a sedative. His blue skin was pale, and there were lines around his eyes even in sleep.

Corso had shed most of his armour at some point after he had left the bridge, though his was still wearing his heavy boots. He was holding a datapad but he couldn't seem to focus enough to read it. His eyes kept flicking back to Lomning's still form. Xirra was huddled against his side, a streak of grease on one cheek and her eyes suspiciously bright. Viggota and Jorgan were still in their full armour, though Viggota's helmet was sitting on the counter and Jorgan had his tucked under his arm.

"Vig, what did the medics say?" Rian asked, noticing that Jorgan startled a little as if he hadn't heard her come in.

"They cleaned the wound as best as they could, though they're not exactly used to dealing with lightsaber injuries. They said he'll probably sleep most of the way to Coruscant, though we should get him to eat when we can." He nodded to the datapad Corso was holding. "We've got instructions for care, and a supply of medicine that will last long enough to get him to the Jedi healers."

She nodded briskly. "Good. Everyone go and get cleaned up, and we'll make some food. It's been a long day." She looked around when no one made a move to leave. "I'll stay here, but all of us standing around isn't doing him any good. Get out of your armour and relax. We've got three days before we get to Coruscant. We can't stand here for the whole trip."

Corso smiled reluctantly and handed her the datapad. "Makes sense, I guess. I'll come back and spell you once I'm changed, so you can go get cleaned up too."

"Thanks," she replied as her crew slowly starting to trickle out of the medbay. Xirra cast a look back over her shoulder and Rian saw the shimmer of a tear tracing over her cheek. She would need to talk to her crew about that soon. Yes, Lomning was hurt, but he would be all right. Moping around like he was on death's doorstep didn't do anyone any favours.

"I will start some food," Seetoo announced briskly once the others were gone. "Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to assist, Master."

"I will," she told him, and he clanked away. Rian hooked her foot around the small chair in the corner and dragged it closer to Lomning's bed. She would have to find a more comfortable chair to put in here temporarily, as she wanted to make sure someone stayed with Lomning at all times. Maybe more than one chair, since she thought it was pretty likely that most of her crew would want to spend time with him, whether he was awake or not.

She dropped into the chair with a sigh and thumbed through the datapad. The instructions were fairly straightforward, most of them having to do with the dosages of the various medicines they had provided. She would put Seetoo in charge of that, since the droid's internal clock would ensure everything was done exactly on schedule. Lomning's bandages had to be changed daily, but she would do that. She had learned enough medicine to be able to handle it, and she wouldn't ask anyone else on her crew to do it.

Xirra was the first person to reappear, creeping tentatively into the room as if unsure of her welcome. The streak of grease had been scrubbed away, and her hair was tied into a damp ponytail at the nape of her neck. "Is he okay?" she whispered.

"Still asleep," Rian replied, waving for Xirra to come closer. "Like Vig said, he'll sleep most of the way. They've got him on painkillers and antibiotics, so now his body just needs rest. I'm planning on moving a better chair in here to make sure he's got someone with him all the time."

"That's probably a good idea," Xirra said, her voice still barely above a whisper.

"Everything okay with you?" Rian asked, setting the datapad aside to give Xirra her full attention. The young woman chewed on her bottom lip but nodded, though she wouldn't meet Rian's eyes. "Hey," Rian said gently. "It's okay to be upset. But you can talk to me if you need to. I promise I'll listen."

Xirra hesitated, eyes darting to Lomning's sleeping form before her gaze dropped to the floor again. "It's... it's just been a lot, you know? With the slavers, and the Sith, and Lomning..." She trailed off and shrugged uncomfortably.

"Yeah, I know," Rian said sympathetically. It had been a hectic few days. It would affect anyone. "No one's going to blame you for being upset. We all are."

Xirra wrung her hands together, then seemed to make a conscious decision to meet Rian's eyes. She still looked like she was on the verge of tears but her voice was stronger. "What can I do to help?"

Rian nearly turned her offer down. Xirra clearly wasn't coping well and could probably do with some time to unwind and process everything that had happened, but she understood all too well the need to keep busy. "Did you want to stay with Lomning, or help Seetoo in the kitchen?"

Xirra's eyes flicked to Lomning again and she chewed on her lip. "I... I'll help Seetoo," she said, voice small again. She was gone before Rian could respond.

Rian leaned back in her chair with a sigh, wondering what would make Xirra hesitate to stay with Lomning. Not that seeing a friend in the medbay was ever easy, but it was just one more mystery of Xirra's past. Maybe someday she would be willing to share.

Once dinner was made, Rian traded off with Seetoo so that she could eat with her crew. Corso bolted his food and headed for the medbay as soon as he was done, with Xirra trailing reluctantly behind him. Rian almost called her back, but Jorgan was still hunched scowling over his plate and it was possible Xirra's desire to be away from his black mood was stronger than her reasons to avoid Lomning's sick bed.

Jorgan hadn't spoken for the entire meal and hadn't raised his eyes from his plate at all. After Seetoo appeared in the doorway to excuse himself to go to his charging station, Rian stood to start cleaning up. Viggota joined her at the sink with a stack of dishes and she used the clatter of cutlery as cover when she leaned over to murmur to him. "What's going on?"

The big soldier winced as Jorgan scraped his chair back forcefully and strode out of the room, leaving most of his dinner untouched. "I'm not sure," he said, though he looked thoughtful.

"You've got suspicions, though," she said, turning to face him.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe? He's not talking to me either, so I can only guess."

Rian paused in putting the plates in the cleaning unit. "I thought he was."

"Only when I was giving him a direct order," Viggota explained with a sigh. "He'd follow orders, but that was it."

"Well, tell me what you think. I need to go talk to him. I can't let this fester for the next three days." Rian said with a sigh. "He's making Xirra nervous enough already. I'm not going to make her tiptoe around him any longer."

Viggota nodded his approval and leaned one shoulder against the wall of the small kitchen. "It's about the Sith, obviously. I don't know why he hates them so much, but I think part of it is that he didn't want to work with her in the first place, and only agreed so he could keep an eye on everyone."

"Because he thought she would betray us," Rian said with a nod. That fit with what Lomning had told her about Jorgan's reasons for agreeing. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell Viggota about why Jorgan hated Sith so much, but it wasn't her story to share.

"He used to run operations, on Ord Mantell," Viggota added. "It was his job to plan for every eventuality to make sure all of his people came home safe. He thought he could protect everyone. I think he's mad at himself for not being able to do that."

"Nothing that happened was his fault," Rian protested.

"I know, and he probably does too, but that doesn't mean he's not going to keep beating himself up over it. He takes his responsibilities very seriously, and blames himself when something goes wrong." Viggota shifted her aside and took over the dishes. "Everyone else is distracted. You should go talk to him now."

Rian dried her hands off on a towel and draped it over Viggota's shoulder. "This is my least favourite part of having a crew," she said, making a face. "Come check on us later to make sure we haven't murdered each other."

The big soldier laughed quietly. "You'll be fine. Just remember that he likes to plan ahead, because people get hurt when things don't go according to plan."

"You can't plan for everything, though," Rian said, and Viggota nodded in agreement as she left to find Jorgan.


	13. Chapter 13

Rian had half expected to find Jorgan locked in his quarters, but she was surprised to hear the thump of his fists on the heavy bag as she went down the stairs. She deliberately scuffed her foot on the decking as she paused in the doorway of the workout room and his ears twitched he didn't stop. He had his back to the door, stripped down to his undershirt. The muscles in his back and shoulders flexed under the thin shirt, and it took her a moment to realize he hadn't bothered to wrap his hands.

"Aric, stop," she said. "You're going to hurt yourself." He didn't acknowledge her and she stepped into the room. "Hey, mind if I close the door? If we're going to yell at each other I don't want everyone else to hear." When he didn't respond she shrugged and tapped the door controls. It hissed shut behind her and she moved closer so she could see his face. His sharp teeth were bared in a snarl and his eyes were narrowed as if he was imagining the bag was Kevrisa.

Rian crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall a few feet away. "I guess I'll just start talking, then, and you can listen." She paused, unsure how to start. "I talked to Viggota," she said finally, and if she hadn't been watching him so closely she would have missed his tiny flinch. "He thinks you're blaming yourself for Lomning getting hurt. You know it wasn't your fault, right?" He still didn't respond and Rian made a face. "Okay, I know I said I was going to talk at you, but I'd really like it if you would say something too."

Jorgan stopped suddenly, grabbing the bag with both hands to stop its movement. He rounded on her, breathing hard, and she couldn't hide her instinctive flinch at the anger on his face. She knew Cathar were predators, but she had never been quite so aware of that fact. He balled his hands into fists and took a deliberate step back, his whole body tense. "I don't have anything to say," he finally muttered, slanting his eyes away from her.

"Can you at least tell me why you're so pissed off?" she asked, trying to keep her voice mild. He turned and started to pace the room as if he was unable to keep still. "It can't just be because Lomning got hurt. You must have seen people around you get hurt before."

"I had a Jedi under my care and I got him _crippled,_ " Jorgan snarled, slamming his hand against the wall. Rian winced at how closely his comment paralleled her earlier thoughts. It was true that Jorgan and Viggota were in charge of security, but she was still the captain. It was her responsibility if it was anyone's.

"If anyone's to blame here, it's me. I'm the captain, he's under my command," she said, pleased that her voice stayed steady. The line of Jorgan's back was tense as durasteel and he didn't turn around. "Aric, it wasn't your fault," she added quietly. "We knew this was a dangerous mission. We all accepted the risks."

Jorgan spun to face her, hands fisted at his sides again. "If he hadn't tried to heal that blasted Sith he wouldn't be hurt!"

Rian narrowed her eyes at him. "So you're saying that you expect a Jedi - that you expect _Lomning_ \- to stand by and let someone suffer?"

"She nearly got him _killed_!"

"But he's going to recover. He's going to be fine." She couldn't deny that she was worried about Lomning too - the loss of a limb was a big thing to deal with - but she thought she knew the Jedi well enough to know he wouldn't have changed his actions, even if he had known the consequences.

"We shouldn't even have _been_ there!" he shouted. "This is what happens when you try to help a Sith!"

"So we should have just let the Hutt keep working on a drug that could cripple millions? That could destroy the Jedi and the Republic?" Rian knew her voice was rising, and struggled to keep calm.

"We could have done it without selling out to the Empire!" Jorgan yelled. He was literally bristling, the short fur on the top of his head lifting and his ears pinned flat to his skull. She could see the flash of claws at his fingertips and she balled her hands into fists.

"If you didn't want to work with her you shouldn't have agreed!" Rian snapped back, keeping control over her temper by the thinnest thread. "I promised that everyone's vote would count equally, but if you vote yes I have to assume that you mean it!"

Jorgan snorted. "Like you'd have listened if I had voted no," he said acidly. "You were the most gung-ho about this to start with."

"Fuck you, Jorgan." Her voice was icy and she was shaking as she stalked forward to poke him hard in the chest. "I'm glad you think I'd go back on my word." He looked startled but she plowed on before he could respond. "I promised everyone an equal vote and I intend to stick to that. But if you can't handle the way I run my ship, you're welcome to leave at any time. I'm not forcing you to stay."

"So that's it, is it? You're getting rid of me because I disagreed with you?" Scorn dripped from his voice.

"I never blasted said that!" she shouted. "Don't you dare try to twist my words around. I don't care if there are things you can't tell me, or don't want to tell me. I won't force you to. But we aren't going to be able to work together if you refuse to be _honest_ with me!" She shoved him hard enough that he actually stumbled back, and stormed to the door. She was shaking with anger and adrenaline, and badly needed to hit something. She had to get out of here, to get some space before she said something she couldn't take back. They both needed some time to cool down.

"Rian, wait." Jorgan's voice was quieter, and she hesitated with her fingers just brushing the door controls. He let out a sigh. "Please." It was enough to make her turn around, though she stayed where she was and waited for him to talk. His gaze flicked down. "I didn't think of it like that. I didn't mean to lie to the team, or to you."

She folded her arms across her chest to hide the way her hands were shaking. She still wanted to scream, to throw things, but she knew she needed to try to stay calm. She desperately wished that Lomning hadn't been hurt. She could have used his mediation skills right about now. "And?"

Jorgan looked up again, confused. "And... it won't happen again, of course." She saw him wrestling with the words before he managed to grind them out. "And... I'm sorry."

She shook her head and let her hands fall to her sides. Her anger slipped away, leaving her feeling tired and wrung out. "You are a stubborn lump of fur," she said with a sigh.

He looked over at her and quickly away again, but the fight seemed to have gone out of him too. "I should have been able to protect you," he said quietly. "That's my job. That's why I voted to work with her. I knew you were going to accept the mission, and couldn't let you go alone."

"So you're making us all suffer because you're mad about what happened?" she retorted. "That seems reasonable." She shook her head, exasperated. "Stop sulking and _talk_ to me."

"I'm not sulking," he snapped, hackles rising again.

"Sure looks like it to me," she pointed out, another flare of anger going through her. "You've been stomping around like a kid having a tantrum. And you turned off your mic in the middle of a mission, Jorgan. I was _worried_ about you. You wouldn't talk to me until I forced you to. Stars, you can't even _look_ at me. What did I do that you're so angry about?"

He lifted his head to glare at her but soon enough his eyes slid away again. She thought he looked almost embarrassed. "I'm not mad at you."

She rolled her eyes. "It sure looks like it from where I'm standing. But if you won't tell me, I'll have to guess. You're angry because you think I encouraged people to take this job, that none of this would have happened if I hadn't voted to work with Kevrisa. You probably feel like you were forced to vote yes so you wouldn't get left behind. Am I close?" His lip curled in a snarl, but it was half-hearted. She blew out a long breath and tried to calm herself down again. Getting angry wouldn't help fix this. "I don't know why you don't trust me when I say I won't force anyone to take a job they don't agree with."

"I do trust you," he said, his voice almost inaudible.

"Then start _acting_ like it. Come on, Jorgan. We're both adults, we should be able to have a conversation without screaming at each other. You wanted honesty between us," she reminded him, and he grimaced.

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "You're right. I don't know if the others would have voted to work with her if you hadn't agreed. And then Lomning got hurt and it was like my worst-case scenario."

She rubbed a hand over her face. She wasn't happy that he was angry at her for that, but at least they were getting somewhere. "I'm not going to apologize for my vote. No one should have to. We all need to respect each other's decisions and learn to live with it. We're all upset about Lomning. But I wouldn't go back and change how I voted because of it. Aric, I'm serious about letting everyone vote. If you'd said no, we'd have figured something else out. But you have to cut me some slack because this is all new for me too, and stuff like this will happen and I won't know how to deal with it."

"All right," he rumbled and she was surprised that he acquiesced so easily. "I know I have to get better about telling you things like that."

She gave him a long look and he lowered his eyes again. "And the fact that you still can't look at me?"

He bit his lip and stuffed his hands in his pockets but he looked up to meet her eyes. "Sorry."

"That's not an answer," she pointed out.

"I know," he said with a wry smile. "Just... It's nothing."

Rian sighed but let it drop. It had been a long few days and none of them were at their best. The comfortable evening of watching holos, and the honest conversations that had followed that seemed to have happened a lifetime ago. She didn't know how best to deal with Jorgan when he was in this mood, especially because she wasn't sure what was causing it. Their work with Kevrisa and Lomning's injury was part of it, but she was sure there was something more that he wasn't telling her. But she was tired, and upset, and didn't want to deal with it right now. "I'm going to go check on Lomning," she said, tapping the controls to open the door. "Get some rest. We all need it." She didn't bother to wait for a reply before she turned and walked away.

She didn't exactly avoid Jorgan for the next three days, but she didn't make a point of seeking him out either. She spent most of her time on the bridge or in her quarters, though she visited Lomning regularly. Usually Corso and Xirra would crowd into the medbay with her and they would talk quietly or read while the Jedi slept, but she kicked them out every time she needed to change his bandages. Xirra was still obviously uncomfortable in the medbay, though Rian hadn't managed to figure out if it was medbays in general or specifically Lomning's condition that was bothering her. Thankfully, the drugs kept Lomning deeply asleep through the process of cleaning his arm and changing the bandages, and Rian would sit quietly next to him afterwards, just listening to his soft, steady breathing.

She was on the bridge with Corso and Xirra when they dropped out of hyperspace and headed for Coruscant. The others were working with Seetoo to get Lomning ready to transfer to the care of the Jedi healers that should be waiting for them. Rian let Corso talk to docking control while she punched in Master Yuon's holofrequency.

"Captain," the Jedi said, her smile warm though she looked worried. "Right on schedule."

"Master Yuon," Rian replied with a nod of her head. "We're inbound. We should be docked in twenty minutes, in bay twelve."

"Excellent news. Our healers will be ready and waiting for you. How is Lomning doing?"

Rian had been sending regular updates but she understood the woman's concern. "As well as can be expected. He slept most of the way, and there's no sign of infection."

"Very good." Yuon nodded. "I will meet you at the medical facility."

"We'll see you soon," Rian said and closed the channel. Her docking clearance had come through, and she shifted the _Event Horizon_ 's course. "Go help get Lomning ready," she said over her shoulder to Corso. "Xirra and I have things under control here."

"I don't know what you expect me to do," Xirra said with a laugh as Corso's footsteps on the decking faded away. "I'm pretty sure it's you who's got things under control!"

Rian chuckled. "Well, yes, but we'll let the boys do the heavy lifting so they can feel like they're useful." She threw a wink over her shoulder at Xirra, who was sitting stiffly in Lomning's usual chair. The young woman responded with a giggle and Rian was glad to see her relax. "I do want you to start learning this stuff too, though."

"Really?" Xirra asked, sounding surprised. "You'd be okay with that?"

"For sure," Rian replied as she made a minute course adjustment. They hit the atmosphere as smoothly as she could manage it, though the control yoke still vibrated under her hands and the rush of wind on the outside of the ship was audible even through the hull plating. "You're part of my crew, Xirra. I want you to be comfortable enough with every job on board, in case of an emergency."

"Oh." The girl's voice was quiet but Rian couldn't spare a moment to turn to look at her. "You'd trust me with your ship? Even though you don't know anything about me?"

"I've known less about other people I've flown with before," Rian said dismissively. It was true, but really only because Xirra was bad at hiding her emotions. She still hadn't really told them anything about her past but Rian could make some pretty good guesses based on the young woman's reactions to various situations. "In my line of work, what you do now is more important than where you came from. We all trust you. You've more than proved yourself."

"Thanks," Xirra mumbled, and Rian risked a quick glance back. The young woman was smiling, though she looked a little shell-shocked too. "I wasn't expecting that."

"You've earned it," Rian told her. The bulk of the Senate Tower reared up ahead of them and she swung the _Event Horizon_ around towards the spaceport. After the sacking of Coruscant and the destruction of the Jedi temple, many of the displaced Jedi had taken up temporary residence in the Senate District on the other side of the spaceport from the Senate Tower. That arrangement had quickly become more or less permanent, and there was now a sizeable Jedi quarter in the area, complete with a small medical facility. Other than Tython, this was the best place for Lomning right now.

She brought the ship down as gently as she could manage and cycled down the engines before she slid out of her chair to check on the others. Xirra trailed along behind her, though she stopped short of going into the medbay. "Everything ready?" Rian asked, poking her head through the doorway.

"Just about," Viggota said. He had packed up Lomning's small stash of medicines and Jorgan was in the process of unfolding Rian's small repulsorlift stretcher. She was sure the Jedi healers would have one too, but it was probably too large to easily fit down the ship's curved hallways. Corso was helping Lomning to sit up, the Jedi's movements slow and clumsy. He didn't look entirely awake.

"We'll go check if the healers are here," Rian said, waving for Xirra to follow as she headed for the airlock.

There were three Jedi waiting on the landing pad, a large repulsorlift stretcher hovering beside them. They were all wearing robes in shades of brown and tan, though their hoods were folded back. Two of them were Human women, tall and dark-skinned and alike enough that Rian thought they must be sisters, if not twins. The man with them was a Zabrak with pale skin and dark markings on his face and bald head. He had a crown of small horns above his eyes.

One of the women stepped forward and bowed. Her long hair was done up in dozens of tiny braids with metal clasps on the ends that chimed together gently as she moved. "I am Master Priana and these are Masters Laria and Meken. Master Yuon has sent us."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Captain Tsel'rianeen," she replied. "This is Xirra. My crew is getting Lomning ready but I don't think your stretcher will fit. I've got a smaller one in the ship."

"Please take me to see Master Lomning and we will determine our best course of action," Master Priana said and Rian motioned for her to follow.

The Jedi's footsteps were silent on the decking as Rian led the way to the medbay. Lomning had been moved to the small stretcher and his eyes were open but unfocused. "Corso, Viggota, Jorgan, this is Master Priana."

"Gentlemen," the Jedi said with a bow before moving to Lomning's side. She checked the readouts on her scanner and nodded. "We are ready to move him to our medical facility. Would you like to accompany us?"

Rian glanced at the others and nodded. "Yes, thank you. We'd like to make sure he's settled in, and speak to Master Yuon."

She let Master Priana take charge and mostly just got out of the way. The Jedi got Viggota and Jorgan to move Lomning out to the hangar bay, where they transferred him to the larger stretcher. It had built-in sensors that hummed to life when they got him settled. "We have arranged for transportation," Master Priana said as the other two Jedi steered the stretcher towards the hangar doors.

There was a pair of speeders waiting outside the spaceport, and Rian and her crew settled into one while the healers took Lomning in the larger one. The flight to the medical facility was short, and Master Yuon was waiting for them when they landed.

"Captain," she said with a polite bow, but her attention was on Lomning and Rian didn't blame her. She pulled her crew aside to keep them out of the way while the healers and Master Yuon took Lomning into the building.

It wasn't a hospital, but a building that Rian thought had probably once been a sizeable manor house. The entryway was large and imposing but the interior was light and airy with high ceilings and recessed lighting. A water fountain provided a quiet burble of noise in the entrance hall. The Jedi steered Lomning's stretcher down a corridor to the right of the door and disappeared into a room near the end. Rian and her crew were left standing uncomfortably in the entrance, unsure of what to do next.

"Do we stay here?" Xirra asked, her voice barely above a whisper. There was something about the atmosphere in here that made Rian want to speak in hushed tones too.

Just then a young Nautolan woman approached them. She had pale greenish skin and huge dark eyes, and was wearing brown robes. "I am Padawan Drela," she told them, bowing so that her multitude of head tails fell forward over her shoulders. "I can show you to a room where you can wait for news of your friend."

"Thank you," Rian said. The young woman bowed again and turned to lead them in the opposite direction from where Lomning had been taken.

The room was generously sized and Rian thought it might once have been a dining room, as there was an interior door that opened to the kitchen. Another young Jedi in training, this one a Miraluka with a band of fabric hiding his empty eye sockets, was just coming through the doorway with a tray of tea and snacks. Low couches and chairs were scattered around the room and Rian's crew clustered together near the windows where there were enough seats for all of them.

The two Padawans bowed and retreated, though Rian was sure they hadn't gone far. She settled gingerly down on one of the chairs, a fragile-looking thing that took her weight sturdily, and looked up at her crew. "Might as well get comfortable," she told them. "We might be here a while."

Viggota sat opposite her on a low couch, stretching his legs out to bump his feet against hers. "Relax, Rian. He's in good hands."

Corso busied himself pouring tea and passing the cups around, and Rian wrapped her hands around the warm porcelain gratefully. A shot of whiskey wouldn't go amiss right now, but she would take what comfort she could get. "I know. But it's not an easy thing to lose an arm, even for a Jedi."

"He'll adjust," Jorgan rumbled, picking through the tiny sandwiches on the tray. He selected two and sat down in a chair near the windows. "If anyone can, it's Lomning."

Corso and Xirra settled next to each other on the couch beside Viggota. "I had an uncle who lost an arm in a farming accident," Corso volunteered. "It happened when I was little, or maybe even before I was born. He could do just about everything the rest of us could do."

"Exactly," Viggota agreed. "He'll have an adjustment period is all."

Rian took a deep breath. "All right. So that means we have a decision to make. It doesn't need to be right now, obviously, but I want you all to start thinking about it. If Lomning's going to be out of commission for the next little while, what do you want to do? We have enough saved up from the Taris job and Skavak's bounty that we can stay docked here for a while - well, maybe not at the Senate spaceport, but somewhere on-planet - or we can get back to running jobs until he's ready to rejoin us." She held up a hand quickly to forestall any hasty comments. "Like I said, don't decide now. Obviously I want to wait to hear some news first. But it's something to keep in mind."

Her crew nodded thoughtfully and Rian finished her tea and set the cup aside. She felt more settled already, but whether that was the tea, the fact that Lomning was in the hands of proper healers, or the calming atmosphere of the Jedi quarter was up for debate.

A discreet knock on the door drew everyone's attention, and the Nautolan Padawan opened it and bowed. Master Yuon was standing behind her, looking tired. She came in and the Padawan shut the door behind her. Rian stood as the woman approached, but Yuon waved her back down.

"Do not stand on ceremony on my account, Captain. You are friends of Lomning's and therefore you are friends of mine as well." She settled into a chair beside Rian and tucked her hands inside her voluminous sleeves. "The initial prognosis is good. The wound is clean and already healing well. There is no trace of infection, or of the drug." Rian exhaled in relief and saw the others doing the same.

"That's great news," she said, and Master Yuon smiled.

"It is. The healers are going to transfer him to a kolto tank to speed the healing, and when he is ready he will be fitted for a prosthetic, should he wish it. The initial estimate is that he may be ready for that within a week or two."

"Can we visit him?" Xirra asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Yuon replied. "He would welcome it. The healers estimate that he will be in the kolto tank for two days, but you are welcome to visit any time after that."

"Thank you, Master Yuon," Rian said, relief colouring her words. She was glad to hear that Lomning was going to be all right. She glanced over at her crew. "We'll see about getting rooms and a place to keep the _Event Horizon_. You can contact us when he's ready for visitors."

"Do not worry, Captain," Yuon said. "We will provide accommodations and handle your docking fees for the duration. It is the least we can do for you, after all."

Rian blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected that at all. Docking fees and accommodations in this quarter would be expensive. "Thank you," she said. No sense in looking a gift ronto in the mouth, after all.

"Padawan Drela will take you to your accommodations when you are ready," she said, standing. She swayed slightly on her feet but hid it so quickly Rian didn't think anyone else had noticed. Yuon must have been worried sick about Lomning. Hopefully now that she could see for herself that he was on the mend she could get some sleep. "I will contact you as soon as there is news."

Rian stood as Lomning's master exited the room, and turned back to the others. "No sense in hanging around here, I guess," she said. "Let's find out where we're staying, and then everyone can grab a bag from the ship. I think you all deserve a bit of a vacation."

"Sounds good to me," Viggota said with a grin. Rian opened the door to find the young Nautolan waiting for them, and she and her crew followed the Padawan out into the quiet streets of the Jedi Quarter.


	14. Chapter 14

The house the Jedi provided was much bigger than she would have expected. It looked like another manor house, clean and quiet, with sleek, minimalist furnishings in all the rooms. There were a half dozen bedrooms on the upper level and a huge kitchen and living space downstairs. Used to living in each other's pockets on the ship, Rian felt like she and her crew was rattling around in the enormous space.

Still, everyone seemed to enjoy having a bedroom to themselves, and Rian started to ponder modifications to the ship that would split the shared crew quarters. They had already converted one of the smaller cargo holds to Xirra's bedroom, after all. If they could concentrate on smaller, more lucrative cargos she might be able to give up another of the holds and split it up so everyone could have their own space. She briefly entertained the idea of buying a bigger ship but the thought of selling the _Event Horizon_ made her stomach clench. She definitely wasn't ready for that yet.

Rian was still unpacking her small bag when the door chime echoed through the house. She stuck her head out of her bedroom when she heard Viggota call her name from downstairs. Her room was near the stairs and she could see him standing by the door with Master Yuon. "What is it?" she called, hurrying down the stairs. "Is Lomning all right?"

Master Yuon smiled at her and Rian relaxed slightly. "Yes, he is well. However, I have a favour to ask of you, Captain. The Council wishes a report on the mission on Nar Shaddaa, and Lomning is obviously not able to provide it at the moment. I was hoping you might be able to speak with them."

Rian's brows rose in surprise. "The Jedi Council wants to talk to _me_?"

"Of course, Captain," Yuon said, sounding amused. "It was your crew who agreed to assist Lomning in his mission. They are eager to hear how it went."

"I'll go with, if you want," Viggota offered.

Rian looked down at her comfortable clothes and nodded. "All right. But let me go change. I'm not doing it dressed like this."

The Jedi Council's temporary home on Coruscant was in another converted manor a few streets away from where Rian and her crew was staying. She was nervous as she and Viggota followed Master Yuon into the building and through an impressive set of double doors that were currently standing open. The room itself was large and high-ceilinged, with tall windows that offered a panoramic view of the sector and the skylanes above.

The room was dominated by a large, round table, surrounded by a dozen chairs. Most of them were empty, though two flickered with the blue glow of holoprojectors. There was a male Kel Dor in one of the seats near the door, his eyes and mouth covered by his breathing apparatus, and two women talking together by the windows. All three of them turned as Master Yuon entered and bowed. Rian and Viggota paused awkwardly behind her, unsure of if they should also bow.

One of the two women approached with a smile. She was Human, with dark hair and tan skin, and startlingly pale blue-green eyes. "Master Yuon, I am glad to see you," she said, stopping to bow to Lomning's Master. "Is Master Lomning well?"

"He is, Master Satele, thank you," Yuon replied, then turned to wave Rian and Viggota forward. "These are two of his companions, Captain Tsel'rianeen, and Viggota Din-amarth."

"I am Master Satele Shan," the Jedi said, turning her smile on them. "Thank you for coming. We will keep this brief." Behind her, the holo units flickered as two more Jedi took their places. "This is Master Kiwiiks," she said, gesturing to the Togruta by the windows and then the Kel Dor. "Master Gnost-Dural. And Masters Traless and Kaedan are joining us via holo." Traless was a Nautolan and Kaedan a Human. Both men inclined their heads politely from their seats.

Yuon ushered them forwards as Master Satele and Master Kiwiiks took their seats. For some reason, the Council didn't think it was important to provide chairs to visitors and so Rian and Viggota had to stand as Master Yuon stepped back.

"Captain," Satele began. "Please, can you tell us what happened on Nar Shaddaa?"

Viggota was standing close enough that his arm brushed against hers when he shifted, and she took comfort in it. She had never seen this many Jedi before, especially not such important ones. She wasn't used to reporting to anyone, let alone such illustrious company. "As agreed, we met Lord Kevrisa to discuss her mission," she said, glad that her voice sounded perfectly steady despite her nervousness. "She and Vette were able to provide us with more information about the drug that was being manufactured, and we agreed to work with them."

"Who is Vette?" Master Traless asked with a frown.

"An associate of Lord Kevrisa's," Viggota interjected.

"Are they regular allies?" Master Kiwiiks asked with a frown.

"I can't answer that," Viggota said, and Rian was glad of his support. "We didn't exactly discuss it, and I wouldn't want to speculate."

Master Satele gave him a searching look, but he met her gaze steadily. Rian supposed he must be used to dealing with scrutiny from his days in the military. "Please continue," Satele said, shifting her gaze back to Rian.

"It took us a few days to finalize our plans. Based on the sector's blueprints we determined our best entry point was a non-functional lift shaft, and we needed climbing harnesses and other equipment. We were able to make our way to the lab without being detected, and we disabled the guards and used one of their key cards to get into the building." She didn't want to mention Vette's friend, in case the Council tried to use him to track down Kevrisa. She'd have to talk to Lomning before he put in his own report to see if he agreed. "We disabled the defences - droids and automated turrets - as we moved to the lab. It was guarded by a squad of Mandalorians, and there was a firefight."

"This is when Lomning was hurt?" Master Satele asked, her gaze flicking to Yuon.

"Yes," Rian said. "During the fighting, one of the Mandalorians attempted to use an injector with a dose of the drug. We were able to stop him, but one of the scientists picked it up and managed to get close enough to Lomning to use it."

"How was this scientist able to do that?" Master Gnost-Dural asked, his voice metallic through his mask.

"He had thrown down his weapon," Viggota said. "We discounted him as a threat. It was a lapse in judgement. A mistake we won't make again."

Master Kiwiiks was frowning and straightened as if she was about to interject, but Master Satele spoke first. "I understand. Firefights can be chaotic, and armed enemies must naturally be your first priority. Please, continue."

"Not much to tell after that," Rian said with a shrug. "We stabilized Lomning, destroyed all traces of the research, and Viggota set charges to blow the lab once we were clear. We got Lomning to a Republic medical facility and brought him straight here as soon as he was able to travel."

"You are certain that all the research was destroyed?" Master Kiwiiks asked, leaning forward intently.

"As sure as we can be," Viggota replied with a shrug. "We wiped the computers, and then destroyed them. There's no guarantee that the Hutt hadn't backed up the data somewhere, but we didn't find any trace of remote access. It was all completely self-contained. If they were backing up the research, they'd have to be doing it manually."

"We will have our own people investigate further," Master Satele said, waving a hand at Master Kiwiiks when the Togruta looked like she wanted to argue. "Your team completed your mission exactly as we had requested. Thank you."

Rian nodded, unsure if the audience was over or not. The Jedi were still looking at her and Viggota with sharp eyes. She would definitely have to talk to Lomning to make sure their stories matched up. She had deliberately downplayed Kevrisa and Vette's roles, but she wasn't sure if Lomning would as well.

"What of the Sith?" Master Traless asked, right on cue.

"Presumably off doing her own thing again," Viggota said, spreading his hands casually.

"You didn't attempt to detain her?" Master Kiwiiks asked sharply.

Rian drew in a deep breath. "Firstly, Lomning was hurt. Getting him to a medic was my top priority. Secondly, that wasn't our mission. Besides, while I'm glad you have so much confidence in me and my crew, we're not exactly set up to capture Sith."

"At ease, Captain," Master Satele said, sounding amused. "Of course we would not have expected that." Beside her, Master Kiwiiks frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "Thank you for your assistance. If we have any further questions, we will contact you."

"Thank you," Rian said stiffly, nodding her head before turning and following Yuon out. She was frustrated and angry. She had always thought Jedi were supposed to be better than that. Lomning bore that up - there was no way he would have expected them to betray Kevrisa. Maybe it was being on the Council, she mused. Did it turn Jedi into little more than politicians, seeking every advantage over their rivals?

Back outside, Master Yuon turned and bowed to her and Viggota. "I will take my leave from you, Captain. Are you able to return to your lodgings from here?" Rian nodded. This sector of Coruscant was built with broad, well-marked streets, very unlike the twisting maze of passages in the lower levels. She wouldn't get lost here. "I wish you the best. I will keep you apprised of Lomning's condition."

Rian let out a slow breath as the Jedi turned away, then linked her arm with Viggota's and led him in the opposite direction. "Was it just me, or was that awkward?"

Viggota laughed. "I've had more comfortable disciplinary meetings," he said, bumping his hip against hers. "Did they really expect us to capture a Sith?"

"No idea," she said with a sigh. "But that certainly changed my opinion of Jedi."

"Guess they can't all be like Lomning," Viggota said. "We found a good one." Rian nodded, looking up at the pale sky above them. Hopefully he would be all right.

They walked in silence for a few blocks before Viggota nudged his elbow gently against her ribs. "What's going on with you and Jorgan?" he asked.

She sighed heavily. "I don't know. He won't talk to me about it. He can't even look at me." Viggota made a sympathetic noise. "I can't read him," she said. "I don't know what's wrong."

"Maybe just give him some time?" Viggota suggested, and Rian narrowed her eyes at him.

"What do you know that you aren't telling me?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said with a shrug. "Nothing for sure, anyways. You'll have to talk to him."

She sighed and elbowed him in the ribs hard enough that he grunted in surprise. "Not very helpful."

He slipped his arm out of hers and wrapped it around her instead. "Sorry," he said, pulling her in against him. "Just... Try to be patient with him? With all of us. Watching Lomning get hurt was hard."

"I know," she said with a sigh, leaning against him and tucking her arm around his waist. He shortened his strides so she could match his pace. "I just wish I only had to deal with one problem at a time."

As promised, Master Yuon kept them updated on Lomning's condition, though for the first two days the only news was that he was still in the kolto tank and was healing well. It was late on the second day that they got the message that Lomning was being taken out of the tank in the morning, and that they would be able to visit him then. Dinner that night was a cheerful affair. Despite the fact that they had all known that Lomning was receiving the best possible care, it was still good to know that he was officially on the mend.

Lomning was sitting propped up in bed when they were shown into his bright, cheery room the next morning. He was wearing a simple wrap tunic in a pale brown and had the sheets pulled up to his waist. The stump of his left arm was lightly bandaged, and the lines of pain around his eyes were entirely gone. He looked worlds better than he had a few days ago.

He lit up when Rian and her crew walked into his room. "Good morning, my friends! It is good to see you."

Rian smiled back, relaxing fully for the first time in days. "Hey, Jedi," she said fondly. "Good to see you too." She leaned over to hug him and he returned it with one strong arm.

"How are you holding up?" Viggota asked, clasping hands with him while Rian flopped into a chair. The Jedi were well-organized - there were exactly the right number of seats for her crew.

"I am well. The healers tell me that I can start the process of being fitted for a prosthetic today, and then I will need some time to get used to it."

"How long do you have to stay here?" Xirra asked, leaning in for a hug too when Lomning waved her forward.

"At least a few more days," Lomning said. He patted Corso fondly on the arm and smiled at Jorgan. "Master Yuon informs me that there is room for me at your accommodations, if you do not mind putting up with me."

Rian chuckled. "As if we'd say no, Jedi. You know you don't even have to ask."

"It is only polite!" Lomning said loftily, though his eyes were twinkling.

"I'm glad you're out of kolto," Rian said casually, stretching her legs out. One of the Jedi healers was lingering, checking on Lomning's readouts. "Next time the Council comes calling, you can talk to them!"

"Yes, they will be waiting for my report," Lomning said, watching out of the corner of his eye as the Jedi finally left. "What did you tell them?"

"The truth," Rian said with a shrug. "Well, a shortened version. I didn't go into much detail." She looked at Lomning and arched a brow, tipping her head towards the door. He followed her gaze and nodded. "I downplayed Kevrisa and Vette's involvement as much as I could. Didn't say much about them at all."

Behind her, she heard Jorgan growl. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because their very next question was why we didn't take them into custody," Rian said, voice tight. "You know, just after Lomning was hurt and we were on our way to the medics. Apparently our priority should have been capturing a Sith. Somehow." Jorgan subsided with a grumble, and Lomning frowned.

"Thank you for telling me," he said quietly. "The Council did not give me any hint that they expected or wanted that. I will have to speak to my master."

"Can you trust her?" Viggota asked.

"I believe so," Lomning said, though Rian privately thought he didn't look entirely sure. "There may be more militant elements on the Council, but they could not have expected you to complete that task, even if I had not been injured."

Rian heard Jorgan draw a breath to speak, but Lomning held up his hand. A moment later, two healers arrived and politely asked them to leave so they could measure Lomning for his prosthetic. Lomning waved cheerfully to them, but there was concern in his eyes.

Her crew was silent until they were back outside. "Did they really expect us to capture Lord Kevrisa?" Xirra asked quietly.

"I don't know," Rian said, shaking her head. "They didn't ask us to, and from what Lomning said I doubt it was even implied in his communication with them."

"We aren't in trouble, are we?" Corso asked.

"No," Rian replied, straightening her shoulders. "They can't possibly have expected us to follow nonexistent orders, or to somehow capture a Sith on our own," she said, waving around to her decidedly not Force-sensitive crew. "Getting help for Lomning was the priority. We did the right thing." Xirra still looked nervous and Rian quickly changed the subject. "It sounds like we're sticking around a bit longer. Take some time for yourselves, if you want. We don't have to live in each other's pockets all the time."

Xirra looked around at the towering buildings and the neat stacks of skylane traffic above them. "I wouldn't even know where to start," she said.

"I can make a few suggestions," Rian said. "What are you into? There are some good shows you could check out."

"There's a lot of museums too," Viggota added.

Xirra nodded, still looking overwhelmed and Rian made a mental note to narrow the options down as much as possible. Behind her, the two soldiers were making plans to meet up with some friends and Rian thought about Kyven. She hadn't seen him in months, and it would be nice to catch up.

Lomning moved in three days later. For the most part, Rian left him to figure things out on his own, though she did notice that Corso and Xirra were quick to jump in to help if he seemed to be struggling to accomplish tasks with one hand. She wondered if she should pull them aside and explain that Lomning needed to learn to do things for himself, but she figured the Jedi would talk to them if it was bothering him.

The initial work for his prosthetic had been done, the connectors under his skin laid down, and the port for the prosthetic itself connected to the stump. Synthskin would be installed later to cover the metallic parts, if Lomning wanted. She rather suspected he would, since in her experience people tended to be nervous around someone with visible prosthetics or cybernetic enhancements. She didn't agree with it or understand it, but she thought a Jedi like Lomning might want to keep his appearance as welcoming as possible.

He generally seemed in good spirits, though there was something slightly off about him that Rian had a hard time putting her finger on. She wasn't sure it was just the adjustment period, but she decided reluctantly that she would leave it to the experts. Surely the Jedi would be better equipped to deal with whatever problems Lomning was having.

She realized about a week later that she should have spoken up sooner. She was reading a novel in the living room while Lomning was in the small room at the back of the house that had been shielded for him to practice using the Force. The others were all out. Corso and Xirra had invited her to see a play but she had politely declined. They were well overdue for some proper dates and didn't need her tagging along as a third wheel. Viggota and Jorgan had reluctantly gone to report in to Garza and the SIS. The general had expressed interest in learning how their arrangement was working with Rian, though Rian herself had not been invited.

Suddenly there was a shout and a crash from Lomning's work room and Rian sprang to her feet, her datapad tumbling unnoticed to the floor. She skidded to a stop in the doorway and peered inside. Lomning had warned them that his control over the Force might be impacted by the prosthetic, though Rian hadn't entirely understood why. Still, he had cautioned them to not come barrelling into the room without warning.

Lomning was on his knees in the centre of the room, head bowed and his whole posture radiating discomfort and frustration. His prosthetic arm hung limp at his side and his left hand was clenched into a fist. Across the room, a table was knocked over on its side.

"Hey," Rian said quietly. "You all right?" He seemed startled, as if he hadn't known she was there. Rian hadn't ever seen anyone manage sneak up on Lomning before. She eased carefully into the room and sat down cross-legged in front of him when he relaxed again. "What happened?"

Lomning looked down at his hands, the organic and the metal both curling into fists. "Nothing."

She reached out and took both of his hands in hers, though she noticed he tried to pull the metal one away. "Talk, Jedi. You wouldn't let one of us get away with this, so I'm doing the same for you."

"I am fine," he said but she could tell he was forcing his voice to stay calm. He was tense as a coiled spring under her hands. "It has been more difficult to adjust than I had anticipated."

Rian looked around the room, only then noticing the small, colourful balls scattered behind the overturned table. "Well, I've got all the Force ability of a rock, but I can guess that it might be harder to control with the prosthetic than your own hand, especially if that's what you were used to. The Force is living energy, right?"

Lomning blinked up at her. "Have you been conversing with the healers?"

She chuckled. "No. I've just picked up some tidbits here and there over the years. I don't pretend to understand it, but it makes sense to me that using a hand made of metal is going to affect your control."

He shifted to sit more comfortably and folded his hands in his lap, a thoughtful look coming over his face. "I had not anticipated how much of an impact it would have. When I learned to control the Force, we were taught to visualize it as an extension of our bodies. It is easier for youngsters to manipulate it if they can picture it as... a very long arm, or something." He gestured vaguely with his left hand as if he was reaching out and pushing something, and one of the colourful balls rolled away to bump gently into the wall. "Technically, using the Force is a purely mental exercise, but it is often easier to achieve the intended effects if we focus in that way."

"And you're having a hard time projecting the Force through your prosthetic?" Rian guessed.

"Yes, and in controlling the effects." He frowned at the overturned table. "My aim is off, as it were."

Rian looked down at her own hands, callused and scarred. "What about switching hands? Or using them both together until you get more comfortable with it. It'll just take more practice, right?"

"I could," Lomning said thoughtfully. "But that will make it more difficult to use my lightsaber."

"Did you train with both hands?" she asked. She knew that not everyone was ambidextrous, but in her experience most fighters had at least rudimentary training in using their weapon in their off hand.

"I did, but I am not as good left-handed."

Rian shrugged. "Which would be easiest to retrain yourself for? Fighting left-handed, or using the Force with the prosthetic?"

He frowned thoughtfully, looking down at his hands. The fingers of the metal hand clicked as he tapped them together. "In the short term, probably fighting left-handed," he said. "Using a lightsaber does not require the same amount of control over the Force as my other abilities."

"Want a sparring partner?" Rian offered. "I'm sure you have training sabers, right? You can't possibly hand kids a real lightsaber and turn them loose on each other."

Lomning laughed. "You are correct." He stood gracefully and offered her a hand up, though she did notice it was his left hand. She wondered if he was embarrassed about the prosthetic. "I will take you up on your offer, as long as you promise to go easy on me."

She made a face. "I'm pretty sure you're going to have to make the same promise, Jedi. I'm not exactly trained in lightsaber combat."

By the time Viggota and Jorgan got back, she and Lomning were both laughing and covered in bruises. Lomning was by far the better duellist of the two of them, even left-handed, but Rian was athletic and had good instincts and she had gotten a few solid strikes in. Lomning looked much more relaxed than he had earlier, and he even absently offered Rian his prosthetic hand to pull her up off the floor after a bout that had ended with her on her back with his saber at her throat - again.

Viggota paused in the doorway and arched an eyebrow. Rian and Lomning were sprawled on their backs on the floor, barefoot and dressed in workout clothes. Their practice sabers had been abandoned against one wall after their last match and Rian was too tired to do more than lift one hand in a wave before letting it flop back down. "Hey, Vig."

"You having fun without us?" he asked, leaning back against the wall beside the door and crossing his arms over his chest. Rian thought he looked tense. He could probably use a good sparring session too.

"She fights dirty," Lomning complained good-naturedly, poking at Rian with his prosthetic hand. She had noticed that he had gotten less self-conscious about it the less attention she had paid to it.

Jorgan chuckled from the doorway. "Didn't you know that already?"

"Ouch, Jedi. That one's pointy. And metal." Lomning laughed, and Rian batted his hand away with a grin. She watched Jorgan covertly out of the corner of her eye as she squirmed out of Lomning's reach. The Cathar still seemed uncomfortable around her, and she hadn't talked to him much since they had landed on Coruscant.

"What were you two up to?" Viggota asked. He and Jorgan were both smartly dressed in civilian clothes wondered how they had felt reporting to the general out of uniform. Still, they looked good and she took a moment to admire the way they looked. No one bothered dressing up while on the ship, and they were generally wearing armour off of it. She made a mental note to make more of an effort to go out and do things outside of missions, if they could.

"Rian was helping me to acclimate to my prosthesis," Lomning replied.

"By beating the crap out of each other?" the big soldier asked with a laugh.

Lomning hesitated and Rian flapped a hand at Viggota to come and help her up, answering flippantly to cover Lomning's pause. "He needed a break from all that Force stuff, and I'm going stir-crazy stuck dirt-side."

Viggota hauled her up easily with one hand and steadied her with his hands on her hips when her legs wobbled. She and Lomning hadn't gone easy on each other, and her muscles were still quivering with exertion. "Next time, wait 'til we're around. We'll give you a good workout."

Rian laughed and smacked him lightly in the chest. "I got all I could handle, thank you. Unless you're suggesting something else..." She winked at him and he grinned back. From the doorway, Jorgan gave an exasperated growl and stalked off. "Oh stars, what's wrong now? How'd things go with Garza?"

Viggota let her go and moved to help Lomning up. "You've met her, you know what she's like." He shook his head. "I'll go talk to him."

"Perhaps I should," Lomning said, straightening his shirt. It was odd to see him in trousers, especially in the Jedi quarter where robes were the norm rather than the exception. "He can assist me with preparing dinner." He glanced at Rian. "Will Corso and Xirra be joining us?"

"No, they won't be back until late. I convinced them to go to dinner before their show."

Lomning nodded and left on quiet feet, and Rian turned to Viggota. "What's going on? What did Garza want?"

"It was an hour of her and the SIS trying to dig for dirt about anything we might have learned while running around with you - especially about Kevrisa - and half an hour of her trying to ask if we were coming back to the military without actually coming right out and saying the words." He grunted with irritation, rubbing his hand over his freshly shaved head.

Rian felt her stomach clench but she kept her expression calm. "Glad I missed it," she said lightly.

Viggota chuckled and reached for her, pulling her in for a one-armed hug. "I'm sticking around," he told her, voice serious. "You're allowed to ask, you know. This impacts you just as much as me. You don't have to sit around waiting, or pretend you don't care."

She leaned against him with a sigh, hooking her fingers absently in his belt loops. "It's your decision, though."

He tightened his arm around her shoulders. "It is. But I hope you know that I don't mind you asking me about it."

"Asking questions can be dangerous in my line of work."

"I'm not a danger to you," he said with a laugh.

"I know," she said, smiling up at him. She knew what he meant, but she wasn't about to tell him how dangerous it was for her to have gotten so attached to him and the rest of her crew. It would hurt if - when - they left.

"I don't know about Jorgan," he volunteered, and she shook her head.

"Not your place to tell me anyways," she pointed out, and he tightened his hand on her shoulder.

"He'll tell you when he's ready," Viggota said with a shrug, and that would have to be enough for now.

A few days later, Lomning's master joined Rian and her crew for dinner. Lomning's recovery had been going well, and it seemed like Rian's suggestion of switching his lightsaber to his off hand was working. He had much finer control over the Force with his organic hand than his prosthetic, and judging by the number of times Rian was finding herself thoroughly beaten in their sparring sessions, his skill with using his lightsaber in that hand was increasing. She was currently hiding a limp due to a deep bone bruise on one shin, but Lomning had been so delighted with his progress that she hadn't wanted to spoil it by revealing how much that strike had hurt. She didn't want to ruin his success by making him feel guilty about it, but she thought it might be time to let the soldiers take over training with him.

Master Yuon seemed distracted during dinner, but Rian chalked it up to the boisterousness of her crew. She was sure that a Jedi was used to much calmer mealtimes. Corso and Xirra were talking over each other excitedly, describing their day. They had gone to see a speeder demonstration that sounded more like a showcase of fancy flying than anything else. Xirra's eyes were bright as she swooped her hands through the air in broad arcs. Her recalcitrance around Lomning had completely evaporated, so Rian had to assume it was specifically medbays she didn't like.

Rian stood to help Viggota and Jorgan clear the table, shaking her head at Lomning when he went to stand as well. Master Yuon was his guest, and he should be able to stay and talk with her. Rian was busy stacking the plates in the cleaning unit when there was a shout and a crash from the dining room. Her hands went instinctively to her hips but she wasn't wearing her blasters in the house.

Viggota and Jorgan were ahead of her as she ran for the dining room and for a moment she couldn't see past them. She ducked around Viggota and was shocked to see Master Yuon and Lomning facing off against each other, lightsabers drawn. Their chairs were overturned on the floor behind them, and Corso was braced in front of Xirra in the corner as far away from them as they could get. Xirra looked terrified, her eyes huge and frightened. There was a strange light in Master Yuon's eyes and a strident note in her voice, a sharp contrast to Lomning's measured tones.

"Master Yuon, please," he was saying, his hand outstretched towards her. "Put away your lightsaber and let us discuss this."

"My Padawan was killed by Flesh Raiders," Yuon retorted, tightening her fingers on her lightsaber. "You are not him, imposter!"

Jorgan started forward and Rian grabbed him by the arm. "No, get out. Get Corso and Xirra and get out. Go for the healers. Vig, you too."

"We're not leaving you behind," Jorgan rumbled.

She shook her head. "I'm not going to interfere. But someone needs to stay here in case Lomning needs help."

"Come on," Viggota said, overriding Jorgan when he would have argued. Lomning caught Viggota's eye and nodded, shifting to make Yuon turn with him, drawing her away from Corso and Xirra. They hurried for the door, Corso interposing himself between Master Yuon and Xirra. The girl was shaking as Rian tugged her through the doorway.

"Go," Rian said firmly. "I've got my comm if things change."

Jorgan shook his head. "I'm staying. We don't all need to go."

Rian rolled her eyes but sighed. "Fine. Go up and get my blasters. Everyone else, _go_."

Jorgan looked like he wanted to argue but Rian turned a glare on him and he turned to run up the stairs to her room. The others headed for the door and she relaxed when it slid shut behind them. She had no idea what was going on, but she didn't want her crew anywhere near this. Yuon didn't look like she recognized Lomning at all, let alone the rest of them.

"Here," Jorgan rumbled from behind her and she accepted her blasters, belting them on quickly. She didn't know what good they might do, and she was loath to use them against a Jedi, but she felt better just having them on her hips. The knowledge that she wouldn't be completely defenceless was powerful. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Not a clue," she muttered, turning her eyes back to Lomning. He was still talking in low, soothing tones, but Yuon wasn't listening.

"No!" she shouted, raising her lightsaber. "You lie!"

Lomning caught the strike and parried it easily. "Master Yuon, _please_! I do not want to fight you!"

Rian turned and handed Jorgan one of her blasters. "Stay here. Cover me."

"What?" he sputtered but she ignored him and darted into the room. "Rian, stop!"

Lomning had drawn Yuon over near the windows and she had her back to Rian, who snatched up an ornamental sculpture from a niche in the wall. It was solid, carved from a single piece of wood. Rian wasn't sure what it was supposed to be, but it was heavy enough for her purpose. She moved as quickly and quietly as she could, grateful that Lomning was keeping Yuon's attention. He saw what she intended and frowned, but pressed forward to throw Yuon off balance just enough that Rian was able to raise the sculpture and bring it down on the back on Yuon's head. The woman crumpled, her lightsaber going out with a hiss, and Lomning sprang forward to help Rian catch her and lower her gently to the ground.

"Is she all right?" Rian asked, dropping the sculpture and reaching to probe the back of Yuon's head. There was no blood but a lump was already forming.

Lomning placed his hand on Yuon's shoulder and frowned down at her. Her eyes were moving rapidly behind her closed lids. "I do not know," Lomning said. "I sense something in her, a creeping darkness." He looked up at Rian, his expression pinched and worried. "Did I hear you send the others for the healers?" She nodded and Lomning sighed. "I will be glad of their help."

"Are you okay?" Rian asked quietly, reaching out to rest her hand on his shoulder.

"I am uninjured," he said, and Rian tightened her hand sympathetically, both of them knowing that wasn't really what she had asked.

Jorgan had come up behind her and he handed back her blaster when she turned. He had a dark scowl on his face. "That was dangerous," he told her disapprovingly.

"It needed to be done," she replied, clipping her blaster back into place and standing.

"I could have done it," he said, folding his arms over his chest.

Behind them, Lomning's cough stopped Rian before she could snap back that she was more than capable of handling herself. "Aric, could you please help me move Master Yuon to the couch in the sitting room?" the Jedi asked.

Rian took a step back and uncurled her hands from their tight fists. This wasn't the time for her and Jorgan to be fighting. "I'll clean up in here," she said. "Let me know if you need anything." She let out a long sigh once she was alone and bent to right Lomning and Yuon's chairs. Jorgan should know better by now than to try to protect her like that. She wasn't some delicate creature to be wrapped in synthsilk and hidden away from danger. She would have to remind him of that, but Master Yuon's condition was more important than that right now.


	15. Chapter 15

Three Jedi showed up to cluster around Master Yuon. Rian vaguely recognized two of them from the medical team that had treated Lomning, but she had never learned their names. Yuon was still unconscious, her face pale and beaded with sweat. Lomning had draped a blanket over her and her hands clutched at it restlessly.

The four Jedi were talking in low tones, looking somber, and Rian turned to herd her crew out of the room. "Come on, they don't need an audience," she told them. "Is everyone all right?" Nods answered her, though Xirra still looked on the verge of panic.

"What happened?" she asked, and Corso wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I don't know, but Lomning will find out." Rian sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. Someone squeezed her shoulder and she looked up at Viggota.

"You made the right call," he told her firmly.

"You needlessly put yourself in danger," Jorgan countered with a growl.

"We are _not_ having this argument right now," she told him firmly, smothering her surge of anger. "Lomning needs our support. You can yell at me later."

"Why's he going to yell at you?" Corso asked, frowning.

"Not the time," she said sharply as Lomning came out of the sitting room. He looked worried, lines forming between his brows.

"Is Master Yuon all right?" Xirra asked.

"No," Lomning said succinctly. "We believe she is the victim of an ancient plague." He held up his hand quickly when Xirra took an involuntary step back. "Not the sort that can be passed from person to person. It is a plague of the Dark Side, a corruption of her Force energies. I must meet with the Council to see if they can provide us with more information." He hesitated and glanced quickly over his shoulder, then lowered his voice as he turned back to Rian. "Would it be possible for you to contact Kevrisa? Master Yuon mentioned some names in her delirium, and if they are Sith, she may have more information than the Council."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Jorgan rumbled.

"I know," Lomning said. "But my master is dying. I will use every advantage I have." Even Jorgan couldn't argue with that and subsided with a grumble.

"What are the names?" Rian asked. She personally agreed with Lomning. If Kevrisa could help she thought it was well worth any risk. And after Nar Shaddaa, she trusted that the Sith would be willing to help.

"Parkanas, Lord Vivicar, and Terrak Morrhage," Lomning said and Rian nodded as she committed them to memory.

"I'll call from the ship," she said. "I don't know what your Council would think if I called a Sith from one of their houses."

He chuckled and clapped his hand on her shoulder. "Nothing good, I am sure. Thank you."

"You know we'll do anything to help, Lomning," she told him seriously and he nodded. "I'll contact you as soon as I have any information."

"As will I." Lomning looked back over his shoulder again. "I should go. I will return as soon as I can."

Jorgan had insisted on accompanying her to the ship. Viggota had tried to step in and go in his stead, but Rian had waved him off. She needed to have a private conversation with the Cathar sooner rather than later, and she wasn't sure she wanted to leave him with Corso and Xirra. The poor girl was frightened enough by what had happened with Yuon. She didn't need to deal with Jorgan's anger and frustration too.

As soon as the airlock hissed shut behind them she turned to Jorgan and raised a hand to stop him from saying anything. "Not now. I'm contacting Kevrisa first. If you think you can hold your temper you can join me. If not, you can wait here. But then you and I are going to have a conversation." She expected him to argue, but he just looked startled.

"Uh... Okay." She gave him another hard look and turned to climb the stairs to the main level with Jorgan following almost meekly in her wake.

She keyed Kevrisa's code into the main holo in the common room instead of the smaller unit in her quarters so that Jorgan could listen in. She had no idea where Kevrisa and Vette were right now, but hopefully they would be able to talk. She had been keeping them updated on Lomning's recovery, but that had only been through messages. She hadn't spoken with them directly since Nar Shaddaa.

Kevrisa answered almost immediately, raking her intense gaze over Rian and Jorgan. "Captain," she said, inclining her head in greeting. "Is everything all right?"

"Unfortunately, no. I was hoping you might be able to help."

Kevrisa looked at Rian and Jorgan again and bit her lip in a surprising show of worry. "Is it Master Lomning? Is he all right?"

"Who's on the holo?" Rian heard Vette call from outside of the projection, then she flickered into view beside Kevrisa. "Oh, hi! Everything okay?"

"Lomning's master isn't well," Rian said, figuring she might as well get right to the heart of it. "Something happened earlier today. She didn't recognize him, she said he had died on Tython, and she attacked him." Kevrisa and Vette both looked shocked and worried. "Lomning said it's some kind of Dark Side plague. She said some names, and he wondered if you might recognize them."

Kevrisa's eyes narrowed. "A plague? Of what sort?"

Rian shook her head. "I don't know the details. Lomning's meeting with the Council to see if they recognize it. Do you think you'd be able to help?" she asked tentatively.

"Of course," Kevrisa said brusquely. "Tell me the names."

"Parkanas, Lord Vivicar, and Terrak Morrhage," Rian recited.

Kevrisa's brows drew in thoughtfully. "Morrhage... That sounds familiar, somehow," she said slowly. She turned away so that she was half out of the projection and Rian could hear the sounds of her tapping away at a computer. "He was an ancient Sith Lord," she said without turning around. "His master was killed by the Jedi Order and he vowed revenge. He used his power to infect Jedi and turn them into his thralls, using them to fight against their own Order. This says he was stopped when a Jedi found a way to shield his victims from his influence, and Morrhage was killed in battle." She turned back to the holo. "Do you think that will help?"

"I don't know," Rian replied. "But it's more than we had."

"I will transmit what data I have to you," Kevrisa said, turning to tap at the computer again. "Perhaps Lomning can use it to save his master."

Rian had hoped for help but she was still surprised by it. "Thank you," she said, bowing. "And I know you'll have Lomning's thanks as well."

"Tell him that we will help in any way we can," Kevrisa said. "This is the sort of horror that I wish to excise from my order."

"And tell him that we're thinking of him," Vette added. "Update us when you can."

"I will," Rian said, reaching to end the call. "Thanks again." Jorgan grumbled quietly behind her as she read through Kevrisa's information. There wasn't much there, but it seemed like this Morrhage had been dead for thousands of years so she wasn't surprised that there was so little information about him. She just hoped that some of it might be helpful to Lomning and the Council. She forwarded the message to him and turned to Jorgan. "Right. Do I need to change into workout gear, or are we just going to scream at each other?"

He looked taken aback. "I'm not going to fight you."

"Then you're going to bloody well listen to me. I know you're upset about what happened to Lomning, but you can't try to take on everything yourself to protect us. We are all adults and can make our own decisions. I took a calculated risk in taking down Yuon, but it was _my_ decision."

"But I could have done it," he argued. "You didn't need to put yourself at risk."

"Yes, and you can also pilot my ship and shoot my guns, but then what would I do? I'm not going to sit around in a bubble just to stay safe. This is my life, Aric. Let me live it my way. I was doing this long before I met you and I'm not about to stop now." She realized her hands were fisted at her sides and forced them to uncurl. "You can't protect me from the whole galaxy, and I don't want you to try."

"But I _have_ to try," he said. "I can't just sit by and let you put yourself in danger."

She threw her hands up in frustration and stalked away to pace the room. "You don't own me, Jorgan. You're not _letting_ me do anything. I am my own person and can make my own choices. You can make suggestions, sure. But I still get to make all of my own decisions." She stopped and turned to face him, voice brittle as she added, "I'm not a slave anymore."

That shocked him and he reared back as if she had slapped him. "I didn't mean it that way!"

"Then think about what you're saying," she said angrily. "You want to make decisions about what I'm allowed to do. You want to be the one to determine if something's too dangerous. What does that sound like to you? Because I've had more than enough years of other people choosing my path. I'm not going to let it happen again."

He blew out a frustrated breath. "Look, I'm sorry. I swear I didn't mean it that way, and I didn't think of it like that. I'm glad you told me and I'll try not to do it again. But you have to understand that sometimes you're not the best person for a job, and you have to let someone else do it."

"I'm not going to apologize for the decision I made today because I don't think it was the wrong one. We needed to act fast, and I was confident that I could knock her out without doing any permanent damage."

He sighed and his shoulders slumped. "I just hate watching you walk into danger."

She shrugged. "It's going to happen, Aric. You knew that when you joined up."

"I know." He made a face. "I just wasn't expecting Sith, or out-of-control Jedi. What can we do against lightsabers?"

"Not much," she admitted. She moved back towards him and clapped him on the shoulder. "Are we good?"

"Yeah," he said, though there was a hesitation before he replied.

"Are you sure?" she asked, peering up at him. "You've been acting weird around me since Nar Shaddaa. Is there a problem?"

"There's just been a lot of stuff going on," he said evasively, and his eyes slid away from hers.

She sighed and dropped her hand from his shoulder. "Fine. I wish you'd tell me what's wrong, but I won't push any more. We should get back."

She could hear his footsteps on the decking behind her and just before she reached the airlock he caught her wrist gently. "Rian, wait." She turned back to face and raised a brow questioningly. He chewed on his bottom lip with his sharp teeth, hesitating. "There's too much happening right now," he said finally. "Can we just go back to normal for now and we can talk after things settle down?"

"I don't know that my life ever really settles down, but if you want to wait that's your decision." He looked upset, and she wondered if he had decided not to stay on as part of her crew but he didn't want to drop that bomb now, not with everything else going on. Maybe he missed having his own command and chafed at taking orders from someone who wasn't military. If Garza had offered Jorgan his job back, Rian wasn't sure he would turn that down to stay on the _Event Horizon_. "Let's just head back to see how Lomning's doing," she said, turning away.

"All right," he agreed quietly, and she cycled the airlock open. He still seemed upset but there wasn't much she could do about it if he didn't want to talk. He'd leave, or he would stay. It was his decision. She closed the airlock behind them and rubbed absently at the ache forming behind her breastbone before turning to follow Jorgan down the ramp.

Rian was surprised to find Lomning was waiting for them when they got back to the house. "I thought you'd still be with the Council," she told him. "Is everything all right?"

"Apparently Master Yuon has been ill for some time, but she and the Council had chosen to conceal it from me while they searched for a cure. And then I was injured and she did not wish to worry me during my recovery." He looked tired, and Rian steered him gently into a chair. "The Council has discovered a shielding ritual in the archives that they believe might help stave off the effects, but the cure itself is... complicated."

"How so?" Viggota asked, coming up and handing Lomning a cup of tea.

Lomning gave him a grateful smile. "The source of the plague appears to be a Sith who calls himself Lord Vivicar. If we can locate him, we can stop the illness at its source."

Jorgan nodded. "So if we find him and kill him, Master Yuon will be cured?"

"No," Lomning said. "He is tapping into her life force. If we kill him, anyone he has infected will also die. We must find another way to stop him."

"Are there more people infected?" Corso asked. He and Xirra were sitting on one of the couches opposite Lomning. Xirra had a cup of tea cradled in her hands and her legs tucked up under her.

"The Council believes so," Lomning said. "There have been reports of other Jedi who started behaving erratically, but they are unsure if all the incidents were connected, as most of the others have vanished."

"Was Kevrisa's information helpful at all?" Rian asked.

Lomning hesitated. "I have not yet shared it with the Council," he said with a wince.

Rian's brows rose. "Any particular reason?"

"Despite her actions on Nar Shaddaa, I am unsure if they would trust that she is willing to help," he replied. "I believe that the information was provided in good faith, but there are many on the Council who were not in favour of working with her even once. I do not believe they would be willing to act on this information in a timely fashion. The longer we wait, the more likely Master Yuon and the others are to succumb to the darkness."

Rian nodded thoughtfully. "So, what? You want to go track down Morrhage on our own?"

"What the Council does not know, they cannot forbid," Lomning pointed out, though there were still lines of worry on his face. "It is a lot to ask of you, my friends, but I must."

Rian held up a hand before anyone could say anything. "We'll vote on it, same as always. It will be dangerous," she said, looking around the room. "We're going up against a Sith who can cloud the mind of a Jedi. I won't hold it against anyone if they want to stay here. But I vote yes."

"Me too," Viggota said immediately.

Jorgan looked from him to Rian and nodded firmly. "I'm in," he said.

Corso and Xirra were having a whispered conversation and Rian caught Viggota's eye and jerked her head towards the door. He tapped Jorgan on the shoulder and headed for the kitchen with the Cathar on his heels. Rian sat in the chair next to Lomning's and leaned forward. "I meant it. Anyone who wants to stay behind can, and we'll pick you back up later. I won't ask you to do something like this if you're not comfortable doing it."

Xirra looked up, tears in her eyes. "I can't do it," she said, voice so low Rian could barely hear it. "I want to help, but I'm so scared. I don't know what to do."

Corso wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. "It's okay. You heard the captain. You don't need to go. We all understand." Xirra clutched at him and buried her face against his neck. Rian could hear her crying quietly. Corso looked up to meet Rian's eyes, anguish on his face. "Captain..."

Rian nodded. "Make the choice you need to make, Corso. You'll still be my first mate, no matter what you decide." She gave him a sympathetic look. "Take some time to think about it. We'll need to do some planning before we can launch anyways so you have time." He gave her a grateful look, turning to press a kiss to Xirra's hair and hug her closer.

Viggota and Jorgan were in the kitchen, putting away the last of the dishes from dinner but they looked up when Rian and Lomning walked in. "What did they decide?" Viggota asked quietly.

Rian shook her head. "Xirra's out. Corso needs more time to think about it. I'd love to have him with us, but I don't want to leave Xirra here alone and I know he won't either."

"The Order would make sure she does not come to harm," Lomning said, sitting down heavily at the small table in one corner.

"I know, but they're still strangers to her. She'd be more comfortable with someone she knows. And I hate to ask Corso to leave her behind." Rian made a face. "Especially for a mission like this."

"We might miss his gun," Jorgan rumbled.

"Guns might not be much good against a Sith," Viggota pointed out.

Lomning tapped the fingers of his metal hand absently against the tabletop, a sharp staccato sound. "We should ask Kevrisa to join us," he said quietly.

Jorgan predictably bristled at the suggestion. "I know you think it makes good tactical sense and I can't entirely disagree," he said. "But I still don't trust her. How do you know she'll help us?"

Lomning sighed. "I cannot put it into words. It is a feeling, the Force tugging at me, telling me she can be trusted." He shook his head. "In the lab, after I was injured, she shared her strength with me despite her own wounds. It was not something she needed to do, or would have been expected to do, even for a friend. My gut tells me that she is a valuable ally, and could even be a friend someday."

Jorgan made a face. "I guess I can't really argue against a Jedi's sense of the Force."

Lomning chuckled quietly. "We are not infallible, Aric. We may have a unique way of reading a situation, but we are not perfect."

"It's still good enough for me," Jorgan said gruffly. "If you really believe that she'll help, I'll try to work with her."

Rian knew her surprise was visible on her face but Jorgan was focused on Lomning. "Thank you," the Jedi said softly, and Jorgan nodded.

A quiet cough from the doorway caught her attention and she turned to see Corso standing there, looking unsure. "Can I talk to you, Captain?" he asked awkwardly.

"Of course," she said, following him back to the sitting room. Xirra was still on the couch, curled into a miserable ball in one corner and Rian crouched beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "For what it's worth, I think you're making the right decision. I don't want you to feel like you have to force yourself to be someone you're not. You're still a part of my crew, Xirra. I'm glad that you're able to make the choices you need to make."

"Thanks, Captain," she said shyly. "And thanks, for everything."

Corso sat down on the couch beside Xirra and took one of her hands. "I'm staying too," he said quietly. "It might not be the right choice, but it's mine."

"Corso..." Rian reached out with her free hand to touch his shoulder too. "Whatever choice is best for you is the right choice. I need you to know that."

"But I promised I'd have your back," he said, biting his lip.

"I'm not exactly going alone, Farm Boy," she said. "And I'm not the only person who needs you right now." She squeezed both of their shoulders, even as her stomach sank. She wasn't surprised at his decision, but she wondered if this was the first step towards him leaving for good. "We'll come back for you."

"If you can," Corso muttered.

"If we can," she acknowledged, pushing everything else aside for the moment. Corso was still her first mate, and he needed her now. "The galaxy is a dangerous place and nothing's ever going to be a sure thing. You know I can't promise anything, but you also know we'll do our best."

"I know." He swallowed hard and met her eyes steadily. "I appreciate your understanding."

She stood and pulled him up into a hug, her arms tight around his back. "Thanks for trusting me," she whispered against his shoulder.

He folded his strong arms around her and hugged her tightly. "That was never in doubt, Captain," he said, voice rough.

She squeezed him hard enough that he huffed out a breath before letting go. "Take care of each other," she told him seriously. She reached down and squeezed Xirra's shoulder again. "And I might suggest getting out of the Jedi quarter when we leave. I doubt the Council would do anything to you, but they probably won't be happy to find out that Lomning's gone off without telling them and it's not fair to you to have to answer their questions. We can even drop you off at another spaceport and you can hide out until we come back. They'll just think you went with us."

"Makes sense," Corso said, sitting down next to Xirra again and wrapping his arm around her when she curled into him. "When will you leave?"

"Soon as possible, I expect," she said. "We'll need to make some plans first."

For the second time in as many days Rian was standing in front of her holoterminal, talking to a Sith, though this time she had her whole crew ranged behind her. Kevrisa and Vette were regarding them solemnly, though Rian could see Vette's fingers twitching against her leg.

"You are certain you wish to do this?" Kevrisa asked, leaning forward slightly.

"I am," Lomning replied. He was standing at Rian's left shoulder, hands tucked behind his back. Rian wasn't sure if it was deliberate or accidental, but he had done it the instant before the holo had flickered to life. Kevrisa and Vette had both looked him over thoroughly, but neither had yet seen his prosthetic hand.

"We will assist you, of course," Kevrisa said, straightening up. "What Vivicar is doing is abhorrent and he must be stopped." Rian heard Jorgan shift his weight behind her but he didn't say anything. "I will send you the coordinates of the planet where Morrhage was buried. Unless you have any other leads, that may be the best place to start looking for Vivicar. He is using Morrhage's techniques, after all."

"Will it be safe for us to land there?" Rian asked.

Kevrisa studied her for a moment. "Probably not. You would be in Imperial-controlled space and even for an independently-registered Captain that could be dangerous." She hesitated, eyes flicking to Rian's crew and back to her. "I have a suggestion, but you will not like it."

"Meet somewhere neutral where we can join you on your ship and travel together?" Rian said with a nod. "It's what I would suggest. But you're right," she said with a shrug, hearing the rumble of Jorgan's low growl from behind her. "I don't think it will be a popular suggestion."

Lomning sighed and looked down. "There may not be another option," he said quietly.

Rian shook her head. "We'll call you back," she said to Kevrisa. "Send the coordinates and we'll see if we can think of anything else. We have another stop to make before we can break atmo but I'll call you before we hit hyperspace."

"We will be waiting," Kevrisa said with a low bow.

Rian cut the channel and turned to the others. "I'm getting us ready to launch. You know my vote. Let me know what you decide." She turned and strode towards the bridge before anyone could reply, though she did hear footsteps on the decking behind her. She dropped down into her chair and looked over her shoulder to see Corso and Xirra. "You doing all right?"

"I don't like the idea of you being on her ship, Captain," Corso said, settling into his seat as Rian started to spin up the engines. "Working with her was one thing, but being on her home turf is another."

"I think you can trust her," Xirra said, her voice so quiet as to be nearly inaudible. She was in Lomning's usual seat, her knees drawn up and her chin resting on them. Rian had noticed that she had been quiet and withdrawn since she had made the decision to stay behind.

Corso turned to look at her thoughtfully. "You think so?" he asked, and Rian was glad that there was no censure in his tone, only curiosity.

"Yeah," Xirra replied, reaching out to absently tap one of the readouts so she could watch the power draw for the engines. "Vette too. She seems nice, and kind."

"She does," Rian agreed. "I like her. I think she and I could have been friends, if we'd met under different circumstances."

"But not now?" Xirra asked and Rian shrugged.

"Now too, probably. But I doubt our paths will cross all that often."

Corso chuckled quietly. "We've seen them often enough lately. Don't be so sure."

Rian laughed and tilted her head to concede the point. "True enough." She leaned back to holler out the door. "We're ready to launch," she warned, giving the others a few moments before she eased back on the stick and lifted off the landing pad. The ascent was gentle, just enough to get them over the speeder skylanes and into low orbit for the trip to the next sector. Without the generosity of the Jedi - which Rian suspected would vanish as soon as they realized that Lomning had disappeared against orders - they would never be able to afford to stay in the Senate District.

Her old friend Kyven had volunteered to keep an eye on Corso and Xirra as soon as Rian had explained the problem. She felt a lot more comfortable leaving them with him, since neither of them were used to the bustle of Coruscant. Kyven had been able to recommend reputable but reasonably priced lodgings and even had some short-term work the two of them could do to keep busy while they were waiting. And Kyven had immediately understood her unspoken request to help them find something more permanent if Rian never returned.

Corso radioed ahead for their landing clearance and Rian set the ship down gently, though she didn't bother to cycle the engines all the way down. "Kyven will meet you in the spaceport," she said. "He'll get you settled in. Call as soon as you have access to a holoterminal so I know where to reach you."

There was an awkward moment of hesitation before Corso stood and offered Xirra a hand up. "Thanks, Captain," he said, voice quiet.

Rian stood to hug him tightly. "Take care, Farm Boy. I'll be back for you as soon as I can." She turned and offered Xirra a hug too, a little surprised when the young woman accepted it and hugged her back fiercely. "Keep an eye on him for me," she whispered, and Xirra nodded wordlessly.

It was hard to watch the two of them disembark, their bags over their shoulders. Rian had told them to pack enough for at least a month and to make sure to take anything they couldn't bear to lose, since she had no idea how long Lomning's quest would take, or if they would ever return. Taking on a Sith wasn't going to be easy, and even though no one had wanted to say it, Rian knew there was a good chance they might not make it back.

She sighed as she settled back into the pilot's chair and eased the _Event Horizon_ up off the landing pad. The bridge felt empty without Corso's steady presence. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long before she could get him back.


	16. Chapter 16

Five days later, they slipped out of hyperspace at the Estaria system, where the Perlemian Trade Route intersected with the Tionese one. It wasn't a system that Rian was personally familiar with, though Kevrisa had said that it would suit their purposes.

"They will take a bribe to look the other way if necessary," the Sith had explained. "But they are not pirates. They will not look to sell us out to the highest bidder the moment our backs are turned."

"Will my ship be safe there?" Rian had asked dubiously. It had taken some convincing, but even Jorgan had finally admitted that it would be much safer to travel aboard Kevrisa's ship if they were heading into Imperial-controlled space.

"As safe as can be expected, though you know there can be no guarantees," Kevrisa had replied. "I am sure you have security measures in place," she had added when Rian winced. Of course the Sith would have had no way of knowing about events on Ord Mantell that had led to Skavak's theft.

Rian radioed ahead for docking clearance as the _Event Horizon_ coasted towards the planet. She was alone on the bridge at the moment, but she could hear the low murmur of voices from the lounge as Lomning, Viggota, and Jorgan discussed the situation. She knew the Cathar was still adamantly against anyone being alone with Kevrisa or Vette, though Rian privately thought that the concern was misplaced. She might not have Lomning's Force sensitivity, but her gut was telling her they could be trusted and her instincts had served her well so far.

She settled the _Event Horizon_ into the docking bay and powered down the engines, then went in search of Seetoo. The droid was on the lower ring, checking over the engines. "A fine landing as usual, Master," he told her as she approached. "Everything is in order here."

"Good to hear." Rian crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, watching the droid bustle around. Unlike Xirra, he could tap directly into the ship's computer and didn't need to check the readouts on the screens, but he was giving the engines a visual inspection anyways. "I don't know how long we'll be gone, but it'll be standard procedures here. No one in unless it's one of us, or unless I radio to tell you otherwise."

"Understood, Master," he said, turning to face her. "Hopefully your errand will be quick."

"I hope so too, but I won't hold my breath. We'll be disembarking as soon as we hear from Kevrisa. Contact me if there are any problems."

"Of course, Master." Seetoo bowed and went back to his duties, and Rian climbed the stairs to rejoin her crew. She had other orders for him, on a dead man's switch. If she didn't log into her holonet account weekly, an automated message would be sent to Seetoo, giving him orders to get the ship back to Corso. She knew her Farm Boy would take good care of the _Event Horizon_ , if she couldn't any more.

"Everyone ready to go?" she asked as she poked her head through the doorway to the lounge. Viggota was predictably sprawled across one of the couches. She envied his ability to appear completely relaxed no matter how tense the atmosphere was, though she knew he was more than capable of snapping to attention at a moment's notice. Still, his calm attitude - real or feigned - had helped to cool down more than one tense situation. By contrast, Jorgan looked like he had been pacing the room, while Lomning was seated at his usual chair at the table with a datapad in front of him and his metal fingers tapping absently on the table top.

"Have you heard from Lord Kevrisa already?" Lomning asked.

Rian shook her head. "No, but I want to be ready to go when she calls. No sense in wasting any time, right?"

"Makes sense," Viggota replied, pushing himself to his feet. "I'll grab my stuff." He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly as he passed her, and she heard the clatter of his boots on the stairs and his cheerful greeting to Seetoo as he passed the droid in the hall.

Lomning stood and tucked the datapad away. "A good suggestion." He slanted an unreadable glance at Jorgan and smiled at Rian as he left.

Rian sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. "What's going on now?" she asked Jorgan bluntly.

He rolled his eyes. "Lomning seems to think I'm not communicating well enough," he grumbled.

"About Kevrisa?" Rian asked. "Because I'm pretty sure we all know how you feel." She stepped into the room and met his gaze seriously. "Are you sure you're okay with this? I know you agreed, but you agreed to work with her on Nar Shaddaa too."

He sighed heavily. "Yes and no. You know why I'm not okay with it, but I know it's our best option."

"Do you still think she's going to betray us?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Lomning says he trusts her, and I have to respect that. And you're right, she proved herself on Nar Shaddaa. I just don't like Sith, and I'm having a hard time getting past that."

Rian reached up and rested her hand on his shoulder. "I know. And I appreciate you being willing to try. I'm really glad to have you with us."

"Thanks," he said roughly. "I appreciate you putting up with me when I'm like this."

She chuckled and squeezed his shoulder. "I admit, I've wanted to grab you and shake you a few times. But I get it. It's not easy to just ignore experiences like the one you had."

Jorgan ducked his head uncomfortably. "Yeah, I guess you would know that. But you seem to deal with it better than I do."

"More practice," she said with a shrug. It was true that in her line of work she had been faced with slavery and its effects a lot more than Jorgan would have been forced to work with a Sith. "It does get easier."

He chuckled quietly. "Not sure I want more practice at this," he said and she grinned.

"I can't blame you." She patted his shoulder reassuringly and dropped her hand. "Come on, let's make sure we're ready to go when Kevrisa calls."

Kevrisa's ship was called the _Fury_ , and it was a sharp, angular thing, all hard angles and aggressive lines, obviously built to look menacing. Rian tilted her head back to look up at it, taking in the gun emplacements with a practiced eye.

Vette stopped next to her and bumped her shoulder against Rian's. "I know, right?" the other Twi'lek said, rolling her eyes. "Could they have made it look any more threatening? It's ridiculous."

Rian laughed, hefting her bag further up on her shoulder and feeling tension drain out of her at Vette's friendly overture. "I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "I bet they could have squeezed a couple more guns on if they had tried hard enough..."

Vette grinned and waved her towards the ramp. "But that would have just been _too_ much, even for the Empire!"

Rian paused at the foot of the ramp and looked back at where Lomning was standing with Kevrisa. Jorgan was watching the Sith closely, trying not to glower and not entirely succeeding. He and Viggota were steering a small repulsorlift cart between them, since their armour and weapons were much heavier than Rian's light bag. At least she had managed to convince Jorgan that he didn't have to wear his armour for the whole trip.

The ramp led up to an airlock at the rear of the ship, between the twin engines. A pair of foils wrapped around the engines, which could be deployed for short-range combat to improve the ship's maneuverability. The airlock was open and Rian jogged up the ramp to join Vette, who was waiting just inside.

The interior was made of the same murky grey durasteel panels as the exterior, and the Empire's propensity for dramatic lighting made the ship feel gloomy and dark. It was surprisingly roomy, with a large common area taking up the bulk of the interior. It was dominated by a long-range holoterminal, and had a small galley kitchen along one wall. A number of doors and hallways led off deeper into the ship, and Vette directed her to the left.

"Crew quarters are this way," she said, pointing to the far left hall. Rian caught a glimpse of a medbay through an open door near the rear of the ship as they passed. "You're all going to have to share, sorry. There's not a ton of bunk space here."

"We'll manage," Rian said, peering curiously through the open doors that she passed. She spotted what looked like a secondary engine room for the port engine - or at least she hoped the main engine room wasn't that cramped - and a conference room outfitted with a long table and a holoprojector.

The crew quarters were bigger than she had expected, with three sets of double bunks along the walls and storage lockers in the far corners. Another door stood open to a cramped fresher. She dumped her bag next to the storage lockers. She didn't much care which bunk she ended up with, so she would see if the others had a preference before she picked one.

She could hear the clatter of boots on the decking as the others boarded the _Fury_ , and followed Vette back to the common room. Jorgan looked up as they appeared, relief washing over his face when he caught sight of her. She knew he wasn't keen on any of them going off alone, but he would have to get used to it. She wasn't going to drag someone else around with her at all times.

"Crew quarters are through there," she said, hooking a thumb back over her shoulder. "Need help carrying anything?" They had left the cart at the foot of the ramp and carried their gear into the ship.

"Sure," Viggota said, handing over one of the bags he had just picked up. Rian was glad he hadn't asked her to carry the crate holding his armour, since she was sure it weighed nearly as much as she did. Vette held her hand out too, and Viggota didn't hesitate to hand her another bag, despite Jorgan's frown. Rian knew the other Twi'lek had noticed, but she cheerfully ignored it and chattered on about the ship.

Rian was surprised that Vette didn't mention that anything was off-limits to them, but perhaps Kevrisa would. If Rian had been carrying Imperial passengers she probably would have locked down the bridge and the engine room at the very least, and probably all the cargo holds too. Either they were very trusting, or they were too polite to bring it up.

"Anyone have a preference?" Rian asked, dropping Viggota's bag onto the bunk nearest the door.

"Bottom bunk," Viggota said, dragging the crate over to the storage lockers and setting his assault cannon on top of it.

Lomning shrugged. "I will also take a bottom one, if no one objects." Rian had noticed that he had kept his prosthetic hand mostly hidden in the sleeve of his robe, and Kevrisa and Vette had politely not drawn any attention to it. Vette had surprised the Jedi with a hug when they had met at the spaceport, and Kevrisa had smiled but restrained herself to a respectfully deep bow, which Lomning had returned in kind.

Rian looked at Jorgan and raised a brow. He shrugged in return. "I'll take bottom too, if you don't mind."

"Doesn't matter to me," she replied. She suspected Jorgan wanted to be able to get out of bed in a hurry if necessary. She didn't mind jumping down from the top bunk in the case of an emergency.

Vette left to let them get settled, and Rian heard her calling out to Kevrisa as she walked away though Rian couldn't hear Kevrisa's response. She knelt next to her bag and started unpacking, putting a few things away into the storage locker so they would be easier to get to. The trip from Estaria to Malachor III would take most of a day, and the plan was to land on the surface and investigate Morrhage's tomb to see if they could find any clues to Lord Vivicar's location.

Rian was unsurprised to see Jorgan and Viggota choose the bunks on either side of the door, and tossed her sleep clothes onto the bunk above Lomning's. She slipped a small blaster under the pillow - she trusted Kevrisa and Vette well enough, but she hadn't survived this long in her line of work by taking unnecessary risks.

Jorgan's head jerked up suddenly and Rian heard the sound of footsteps on the decking just before Vette poked her head around the corner. "We're about ready to launch," she said, taking a step back when she saw that Jorgan's hand was on the blaster at his hip. "Uh, I just wanted to warn you."

Rian curled her hand around Jorgan's wrist and he tensed in surprise. "Thanks, Vette. We'll finish up in here and we'll be out in a bit." She nodded and fled, and Rian gently pulled Jorgan's hand away from his blaster. "Aric, come on. You've got to relax a bit. I know you don't trust them, but we've got to work with them."

He growled low in his throat but didn't pull away. "I don't want to risk anyone getting hurt again."

"I know, but you can't keep threatening our allies, or they won't stay allies for long."

Lomning stepped up and put a gentle hand on Jorgan's shoulder. "She is right. I know it is difficult, but we need their help. I must save my master, if I can, and I cannot do this alone."

Jorgan sighed and the fight went out of him slowly. "I know. I'll try." He hesitated, chewing on his bottom lip. "Maybe I should stay away from them, as much as I can."

"I can keep you company," Rian said hesitantly. She wasn't sure he wanted her around, and she really would rather see if Kevrisa would let her onto the bridge while the ship launched, but she was the captain, and her crew was her responsibility. She wasn't going to force Jorgan to confine himself to quarters alone. "I brought a sabacc deck."

He shook his head slowly. "No, it's fine. I'll be okay on my own in here."

"Nah, I'll stay," Viggota said, sprawling onto the bunk he had claimed. "You two can go. Leave the deck, though."

His pose was deliberately casual but to Rian's practiced eye it looked a little forced. Still, she nodded and dropped Jorgan's arm to rummage in her bag for the sabacc deck. She tossed it to Viggota, who caught it easily one-handed, and followed Lomning out of the room. The door hissed shut behind them and she leaned closer to the Jedi. "What's going on?" she asked him quietly.

Lomning shook his head. "Viggota will sort it out," he said, which wasn't really an answer.

Rian looked up at the sound of footsteps to see a droid clanking its way into the common area from the far hall. It caught sight of them and lurched to a stop, making a distressed noise. "Hey, easy," Rian said, holding up a calming hand. "We're looking for Vette. Is she around?"

"Oh..." The droid looked halfway to panic as it swivelled back and forth. "I do not know. I am sorry! Please do not deactivate me! I will locate her for you immediately!"

Rian shared a look with Lomning. "We aren't going to deactivate you," she told the droid, but it was too late. It had hurried away, its gait peculiar and stiff.

"Blast it, not again," Vette's voice came from behind them. "Hang on, I'll be right back!" She jogged down the corridor after the droid and Rian could hear them talking but couldn't make out the words. She heard the metallic clank of the droid's feet on the decking before Vette came back. "Sorry! That's Toovee. Poor guy has a complex. I guess his last master threatened to shut him down every time he messed up. We're working on it, but it's been a slow process!" She waved for them to follow and headed for a door towards the front of the ship. "Vris is on the bridge, if you want to join us for the launch. Where are the guys?"

"Playing sabacc," Rian said, bemused at the flow of words. The droid's reaction had worried her, but at least it seemed that it was not because of Kevrisa and Vette. Assuming she was telling the truth, of course, but Rian chose to take her at her word.

"They will probably keep to themselves for most of the journey," Lomning said, following Vette down a short hallway. The _Fury_ 's bridge was bigger than the _Event Horizon_ 's, but just as gloomy as the rest of the ship, with red lighting bathing the space in an eerie glow. Rian often kept her bridge lights lower than those in the common areas so she could read the displays more easily, but she still found herself squinting in the dim light.

"Stars, how do you not trip over everything in here?" she asked.

Kevrisa chuckled from where she was seated in the captain's chair. Rian was surprised to see that the pilot's controls were at one of the forward stations instead of at Kevrisa's chair, but she supposed that most Sith would just give the orders and expect someone else to do the work. "I am used to it, I suppose."

Vette rolled her eyes and dropped into the pilot's chair. "I know what you mean. What is it with the Empire and their hatred for light bulbs?" She turned to Kevrisa. "Is it the whole Empire? Or just Sith?"

"Mostly Sith, in my experience," Kevrisa said, eyes sparkling with mirth.

Vette laughed. "Well that explains it. They all love masks too. They must have night vision built into those things."

Rian chuckled, leaning against the back wall to watch as the two of them readied the ship for departure. Lomning poked around the consoles that took up the whole back wall of the bridge, absently checking the readouts. Rian kept an eye on Kevrisa and Vette but they didn't seem to mind his exploration. Kevrisa's chair was on a slightly raised platform at the centre of the bridge with the holographic astrogation map spinning slowly in the air in front of it. There were two chairs set forward of it, down two steps from Kevrisa's seat. A large, roughly circular window looked out onto the blank wall of the docking bay.

Kevrisa and Vette worked together with the ease of long practice, and Rian heard the thrum of the engines spinning up aft of them. The decking vibrated under her boots and she twisted her hands together at the small of her back, missing the feel of the _Event Horizon_ 's control yoke.

"We've got launch clearance," Vette said, her voice echoing through the ship's intercom to let Viggota and Jorgan know as well. "You should sit down," she warned. "The _Fury_ has a lot of kick, and very little finesse."

Rian laughed. "Aptly named, then." She waved Lomning towards the other forward chair and kicked the release latch for the jump seat at the back of the bridge. She was a little surprised at how similar it was to the designs she was used to, but she supposed that there had probably been a lot of crossover in Imperial and Republic ship designs over the years. The two governments had been at war for so long and had each captured so many ships that she doubted that there were many differences between them anymore, aside from the obvious aesthetic choices.

She strapped herself in and Vette did a quick check over her shoulder before she tapped the controls in front of her. The _Fury_ lurched up off the pad, the thrust of the engines pushing Rian back against the seat. It felt like being strapped to a rocket, nothing like the _Event Horizon_ 's usual controlled ascents - though Rian admitted she had launched like this before when she had to. She found herself laughing with delight as the _Fury_ punched up out of the atmosphere and into the blackness of space.


	17. Chapter 17

Rian was on the bridge when the _Fury_ dropped out of hyperspace at the edge of the Malachor system and coasted in towards the third planet. She was seated at the secondary forward console, with Vette to her right and Kevrisa behind her. Lomning had left to meditate a couple of hours earlier, and Rian hadn't seen Viggota and Jorgan since breakfast. Jorgan had been quiet since they had boarded and Viggota had stuck close by his side, leaving Rian and Lomning free to wander the ship and talk with Kevrisa and Vette.

Rian had found herself warming to the Sith, somewhat to her surprise. Kevrisa had a sly sense of humour that she turned on herself and the Empire more often than anywhere else. She clearly adored Vette, though Rian had learned little of their history together. She was curious of the pairing of a Sith with a former slave - she had confirmed it when she had spotted the shock collar scars on the back of Vette's neck. Rian had a matching set of scars, and knew that only long-term wear would leave those.

She leaned back in her chair and stifled a yawn. She hadn't slept well - between Viggota's room-shaking snores and the fact that the engines on the _Fury_ hummed at a different pitch than the _Event Horizon_ 's, she had tossed and turned most of the night. She didn't think she was the only one who had slept poorly either. Every time she had woken up she had caught the gleam of Jorgan's eyes in the dark room, his gaze snapping to her when she moved. She knew he could sleep through Viggota's snoring, so she assumed it was the fact that they were on Kevrisa's ship that had kept him awake.

"Do you sense anything?" Vette asked quietly, leaning forward to stare out the window as they approached the planet. It was bland, without oceans or heavy cloud cover to break up the unrelenting grey-brown of its surface.

"Dark Force energy. Very strong," Kevrisa replied just as softly. Rian glanced back over her shoulder and the Sith turned to meet her eyes. "We will be landing soon, if you wish to tell the others to prepare."

Rian nodded and left the bridge. Kevrisa looked worried, which didn't bode well. If a Sith didn't like what she was sensing from the planet, what must Lomning feel?

The door to the crew quarters was closed but not locked, and it hissed open when she thumbed the control panel. Lomning was seated against the far wall, legs folded beneath him and eyes closed. The fingertips of his organic hand and his prosthetic were pressed together in his lap. Viggota and Jorgan were sitting on their bunks, Jorgan with a datapad in his hand and Viggota absently shuffling the sabacc deck. Their eyes snapped to her when the door slid open.

"We're landing soon," she told them. "We should get ready." Lomning's eyes opened and he rose gracefully to his feet but Rian thought he looked tense. "You all right, Jedi?"

"The Dark Side is strong here," he said, folding his hands into the sleeves of his robe. "It is unsettling. But I will be fine."

"Anything we should know, walking into this?" Viggota asked as he and Jorgan moved to the lockers to get their armour. Rian was already wearing her usual plasteel-reinforced jacket and pants, with her blasters at her hips.

"We do not know what we will encounter," Lomning said. "From the information Kevrisa was able to obtain, the planet should not be populated. Morrhage is not well known in the Empire. He has been dead for centuries. The Malachor system is technically within the boundaries of the Empire but there is little of interest for them here." He shook his head. "I do not know if we will find Vivicar here but my hope is that we may at least find some evidence of where to look for him. It is the only lead we have."

"And if he is here?" Rian asked. "Are we at risk from the plague?"

"I will do my best to shield you from any harmful effects," Lomning said. "We know that Vivicar can manipulate minds, but his technique seems to work best on unsuspecting victims, growing slowly like a seed planted in fertile soil. From what the Council was able to learn, I do not believe that we will be at risk from that in the short term."

"What if he's not trying to be subtle?" Viggota asked, stripping down to pull on his undersuit. Jorgan was already wearing the form-fitting garment and had started to click his armour into place on the contact points.

"That is what I hope to be able to shield you from," Lomning replied. "Or at the very least to keep him busy enough that he cannot attempt it."

"Would it be better if we hung back?" Rian asked. "I don't want to leave you on your own, but I also don't want you to have to divide your attention."

Lomning made a thoughtful noise. "It is not a bad idea. Mind tricks are difficult to master, and distance would provide some protection, especially if Kevrisa and I are able to occupy Vivicar's attention. You can, of course, use your best judgement to approach if you feel it is necessary."

"This is all assuming he's even here," Viggota said, bending over to strap on his greaves. Rian handed over his chestplate when he straightened up and he clicked it into place. "If you don't mind, I'd like to take command," he told her. "I don't want any conflicting orders in the heat of the moment. We need to stay focused."

"I don't have a problem with that," she replied. "Just remember to use my strengths. I'm not wearing thirty kilos of durasteel and can't go toe to toe with people like you can."

"I know," he said with a grin, bending to pick up his helmet and gloves. "Trust me. I won't put you in danger unnecessarily."

Jorgan grumbled under his breath as he finished strapping his armour on but he didn't comment. It didn't take long for him to finish getting ready and clip his assault cannon and sniper rifle to the maglocks on the back of his armour. He added a blaster pistol and a vibroknife to his belt and rolled his shoulders to settle everything. "Ready, sir," he told Viggota as he tucked his helmet under his arm.

Viggota nodded sharply. "Good. We're your support, Lomning. Where do you want us?"

"Kevrisa and I will take point," Lomning replied. "I will allow you to position yourself as you think best."

"I'll follow, with Rian and Vette after me. Jorgan, I want you on rear guard until we figure out what we're dealing with."

"Understood," the Cathar said, picking up his helmet.

Rian felt the deck lurch suddenly under her boots and she shifted instinctively with the motion. Lomning and Jorgan staggered slightly, and Viggota braced a hand on the nearest bunk to keep his balance. "What was that?" he asked with a frown.

He had barely finished speaking when an alarm started to blare and Vette's voice cut sharply over it through the ship's intercom. "We're caught in a tractor beam! Everyone gear up."

Rian was closest to the door and was out of the room first, running for the bridge. She could hear the heavy boots of the soldiers behind her, and Lomning's lighter tread. "What's going on?" she asked, skidding around the corner onto the bridge.

"There's a ship in orbit," Vette said, stabbing furiously at her console. The alarm died out abruptly, and Rian could hear the engines straining in the sudden silence. "They've got us in a tractor beam. They're pulling us in." She shook her head and turned to Kevrisa. "There's nothing I can do, and they're not answering hails. We'll have to fight."

"Then we fight," Kevrisa said. Her hands were clenched on the armrests of her chair and she was glaring out the viewport.

Rian followed her gaze to where a wedge-shaped ship hung motionless against the stars. It dwarfed the _Fury_ , and was bristling with gun emplacements. "It's Imperial," she said, raking a practiced eye over the ship. "What's the crew complement?"

Jorgan ducked past her to peer out through the transparisteel. "That's an Archon class cruiser. Skeleton crew is a dozen. Full complement would be closer to forty, plus any troops they might have on board."

"We have to assume we're outnumbered," Vette said, still struggling to free them from the tractor beam that was drawing them inexorably closer to the other ship. Rian winced as the engines whined in protest and Vette quickly adjusted the power draw.

Kevrisa stood in one smooth motion, her robes swirling open to show gleaming black armour. "We do not have any other choice," she pointed out. "We must fight."

"We need a plan," Viggota said, moving to the secondary console and pulling up the scans of the enemy ship. "They have more firepower than us, but they haven't fired yet. So they want us alive, whoever they are."

"If it is Vivicar, he will have sensed Kevrisa and myself," Lomning pointed out. "He may hope to infect us with his plague as well."

Kevrisa pressed her lips tightly together. "There is definitely at least one Sith on board. I can sense him."

"So the rest of us are expendable," Rian said, shaking her head. She quickly checked each of her blasters, then zipped her armoured jacket closed.

"Do you have schematics for that ship?" Viggota asked Kevrisa, who nodded to Vette.

"Yeah, here," the Twi'lek said, tapping at her controls to send the schematics to Viggota's console. She looked nervous, biting her lip as Viggota folded his armoured bulk awkwardly into the other seat without taking his attention off the screen in front of him. Rian couldn't blame her. The twisting feeling in her gut was getting stronger by the second. She didn't see a way this would end well.

"We need to find a way to keep them from overwhelming us," Lomning said quietly.

Kevrisa nodded in agreement. "We have less than ten minutes," she said. "I am sure we will be surrounded once they draw us on board."

"I don't suppose you've got any smuggler's compartments?" Rian asked. "They might not know how many we are in board. If someone can get out undetected they could wreak some havoc."

Vette grinned over her shoulder at Rian. "Yeah, actually. I made Vris put in a shielded compartment a few months ago, and an emergency hatch. What were you thinking?"

Rian hooked her thumbs into her belt and watched the ship draw them slowly closer. "Sneak out, stay out of sight, see if we can lock down some sections to keep from getting overwhelmed, thin out the crew any way we can. Distract them with other problems so they can't fight back against us. They'll have a hard time tracking us down if we can scramble their interior sensors, and we could do a lot of damage."

"I hesitate to say this," Lomning broke in delicately. "Vivicar's crew may be here under compulsion or duress. We should try to save them if at all possible."

"We may not have a choice," Rian said, turning to face him. "We can try, but if they're shooting to kill we might not be able to be gentle."

"I know," Lomning said with a sigh. "But I needed to say it."

"If I can sense Vivicar, he can sense us," Kevrisa said to Lomning, who frowned but nodded.

"Wait," Jorgan interjected. "What are you saying?"

"They can't hide," Vette said, chewing on her lip. "Vivicar will be able to sense them too. Even if they try to hide their Force-signature and sneak off the ship with us, it's too late. He knows they're here, and everyone on board will be on high alert and gunning for us. We won't have a chance."

"We can stay here," Lomning said. "Distract him, hold his attention to buy you time to work."

"It's a good idea," Rian said slowly. "But not you. If Vivicar gets his hands on you, you can bet he'll work on getting you under his control right away, and we can't risk him succeeding. The rest of us can't fight one Force-user, let alone the two of you and whoever else he might have under his control. You and Kevrisa need to get off the ship and out of his reach. I can make enough noise that he won't know how many people are still on board, but I won't be interesting enough for him to care about if I get captured."

Rian wasn't surprised that Jorgan rounded on her angrily. "Unless he decides to torture you for information," he snapped. "I'm not leaving you here to face that."

"Well I'm not going to make anyone else go through it either," she said, planting her hands on her hips. She could see the others frowning, but she didn't give them a chance to speak up. "I'm the captain. It's my responsibility to keep you safe."

Lomning's prosthetic hand curled around Rian's shoulder. "We do not have time to argue," he said quietly, ignoring Jorgan's low growl. "Rian, you do not have to do this." He gently turned her to face him. "We can come up with another plan."

"I'm listening," she said, rubbing her hands on her thighs and letting the silence stretch out uncomfortably. The Imperial ship was looming over them and she could already see the tiny figures waiting for them inside the hangar bay. They were nearly out of time.

Rian wasn't the only one who jumped when Jorgan snarled and slammed his gauntleted fist against the wall before stalking away. Lomning tightened his hand on her shoulder, gears whirring faintly. "He is afraid," the Jedi murmured softly. "He is worried for you."

"I'm worried for me," she muttered in return. Her hands were shaking, adrenaline already pumping into her system. She didn't know if they would throw her in a cell and ignore her in favour of trying to find Lomning and Kevrisa, or if they would try to torture information out of her. And that was assuming she wasn't killed during the firefight. The best distractions were loud and messy, and she was going to be right in the middle of this one.

"I'll stay with you," Viggota said, his big hand sliding onto her other shoulder.

Rian shook her head. "No, I won't put anyone else in danger. And if there are two of us, there's too much risk of them deciding one of us is expendable, or killing one to make the other talk. I need you to help the others." She swallowed and closed her eyes briefly. "And keep an eye on Jorgan. I don't want him getting himself hurt because he's too angry to watch his back." Viggota and Lomning squeezed her shoulders and she leaned into the support.

Vette cleared her throat uncomfortably. "I hate to break this up, but we're running out of time." Rian could hear the buzzing hiss against the _Fury_ 's hull as the ship slid through the magnetic shield and into the hangar bay. "We need to get ready."

Rian straightened her spine and stepped back so that Lomning and Viggota's hands dropped away from her shoulders. She reached down and unclipped Flashy from her belt, letting her fingers linger a moment on the grip before she spun it around and held it out. "Someone keep this safe for me. They'll take my weapons, and I don't want to risk losing her." Lomning accepted the blaster solemnly, and Rian reached out to steal a grenade off Viggota's belt. "I'll buy you as much time as I can. Stay safe."

"You too," Viggota said, squeezing both her shoulders firmly. He looked like he wanted to say more but couldn't get the words out. Lomning clasped her hand as soon as Viggota let go, and behind them Rian could hear Kevrisa and Vette talking quietly. The landing gear lowered and locked into place with a clank that vibrated through the ship.

"Go," Rian said, pulling back reluctantly. "I'll draw their attention. You get out of sight."

"We'll come for you as quick as we can," Vette said, pulling Rian into a slightly awkward hug. "Hold on, okay?"

Rian nodded, swallowing hard. "You and your Sith keep my boys safe for me, okay?" she said shakily, and the other Twi'lek nodded in return. Kevrisa bowed respectfully, and Vette laced her fingers with Kevrisa's and squeezed tightly.

The _Fury_ 's landing was anything but smooth - tractor beams weren't the most precise things - and Rian squared her shoulders and headed for the airlock. Her steps faltered when she caught sight of Jorgan in the common room, standing motionless in the centre of the room, hands fisted at his sides. He looked up at the sound of her footsteps, his yellow-green eyes bright with anger. She nodded at him, unsure of what to say. He broke eye contact first, looking down with an unhappy twist to his mouth. Behind her, she could hear the others following, and she took a deep breath and kept moving.

She was almost to the doorway when Jorgan caught up with her, pulling her around to face him with a hand on her wrist. His mouth worked as if he wanted to say something but didn't know what, and he finally straightened up and saluted her sharply. "Good luck, Captain," he said, his voice rough.

Something clenched in her chest at the gesture and she had to swallow hard to get her voice working again. "You too," she replied quietly, and he nodded once then turned abruptly to follow Vette into the cargo hold, leaving Rian alone.

A series of heavy thuds echoed through the ship and she hurried into action. A curved corridor and a short flight of steps led down to the airlock door, where a computer console would give her cover from whoever was waiting outside.

The comm system crackled to life above her head and she drew her off-hand pistol, Viggota's grenade still clenched tightly in her fist. "Attention unidentified vessel," an Imperial-accented voice called. "Release your locking mechanisms and prepare to be boarded. If you cooperate, you will not be harmed."

Rian snorted humourlessly. "Yeah, right," she muttered to herself, but still leaned up to disengage the locks. The moment the gap was wide enough she jammed the barrel of her blaster through and started firing indiscriminately. The startled yells that echoed through the hangar took on a note of panic when she armed the grenade and threw it out through the airlock.

The sound of the explosion made her ears ring, but it left the Imperials scattered and disoriented and she was able to pick her targets. Mindful of Lomning's request she tried to focus on disabling her opponents rather than killing them, but their lives were less important to her than her crew, and she needed to get them home safely, all of them. She wasn't going to break her promise to Corso if she could help it. So she aimed for knees and shoulders when she could, and heads and hearts when she couldn't, and she kept firing while the Imperials tried to rally their scattered forces to mount an effective defense. The hangar bay was in chaos, and she hoped it was enough to get the others out safely.

She held out longer than she had expected before she heard the metallic clatter of a grenade on the decking. She ducked into cover as best she could but the explosion of the flashbang still whited out her vision and knocked her sideways. Her head hit the wall and stars exploded behind her eyes. She heard the heavy thud of boots on the ramp and tried to struggle to her feet and lift her blaster again. There was a shout and a rifle butt struck her on the back of the head and she finally lost consciousness.

Rian woke with a throbbing headache, her whole body aching. She was laying on her side on a cold, hard surface, and she deliberately kept her eyes closed and her breathing regular. Her hands were cuffed together in front of her but her legs were unbound and she was still wearing her armoured jacket.

She could hear the hum of machinery under her ear, so she suspected she was on the floor of the Imperial ship rather than still on the _Fury_. There was movement nearby, the rustle of clothes and the scuff of boots as someone shifted position.

"I know you're awake." The voice sent chills down Rian's spine. It was an Imperial accent, low and deep and dark, with an undercurrent of power that made her hands itch for her blasters. "You can stop pretending now. Sit up and let me see you."

She debated keeping up the charade but if this was Vivicar, she didn't want to piss him off more than necessary. If she could keep him calm and rational, she might be able to get him talking and distract him for long enough that the others could finish sabotaging his ship. She opened her eyes slowly, squinting against the lights overhead. She lifted her bound hands to shield her eyes as the pain in her head spiked badly enough that she thought she might be sick.

The man standing over her laughed cruelly. A hand grabbed her wrist and shoved her hands down and another seized her chin and forced her head up. She hissed out a strangled noise and bit her tongue hard, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of hearing her cry out.

There was a guard standing on either side of her, one of whom was holding her head up. The other had his gun trained on her, but he was standing just far enough away that she couldn't reach it to take it from him. They were wearing Imperial uniforms, their eyes focused and intent.

The Sith was standing in front of her, a slender Human man with a shaved head and a pale goatee, and old, extensive scarring across the left side of his face and head. He was wearing dark robes with ridiculously oversized armoured plates on his shoulders and a lightsaber clipped to his belt. His eyes were red and glowing with power. Rian managed to resist the urge to look away, but she couldn't stop the shiver of fear that went through her when his eyes locked with hers. His mouth twisted into a cruel smile and she wondered if he could sense her emotions like Lomning could. Keeping him talking might not be an option, but she could at least try to hold his attention. Time to try for a distraction.

She jerked her chin out of the guard's grasp and coughed out a painful laugh. "Those are the most useless pauldrons I've ever seen," she sneered with a bravado she didn't quite feel. She was glad she was kneeling. She wasn't sure she would be able to stand and face a Sith on her own. "How do you lift your arms? Have you ever hit yourself in the head with them?"

The Sith's face darkened angrily and the guard beside her struck her across the face hard enough that her head jerked to the side and she fell to the deck again. She took the opportunity to look around quickly before the man hauled her back to her knees. She was in a cell, which was what she had expected, dark durasteel walls and floor and too-bright lights set into the ceiling overhead. A flickering red force field blocked off the entrance.

"I ask the questions here, little worm," the Sith said, eyes snapping with anger. "I am Lord Vivicar, and you should fear me. You will answer, or you will suffer and die at my feet."

Rian coughed and spat blood on the deck, grinning viciously when it spattered on the gleaming black boots of the Imperial beside her. "Note to self," she muttered. "Don't question a Sith's fashion sense, or lack thereof."

The Imp punched her in the stomach and she collapsed again, gagging and gasping for breath. Above her, Vivicar sneered. "If I had more time, I would take great pleasure in breaking your spirit. But you have information I require. Tell me who was on that ship with you, and what their plan is, and your death will be swift."

She pushed herself back to her knees again, gritting her teeth against the pain, and bared her teeth at the Sith. "Go fuck yourself," she gasped breathlessly. "I won't tell you anything."

The guard drew his fist back again but Vivicar held up a quelling hand. "I hoped you might be reasonable," he said, taking a step forward. "I did give you the chance. But I want you to remember that this was your choice."

Quicker than Rian could react, Vivicar reached out and seized her head in both hands. She tried to jerk backwards but his grip was too strong. He grinned down at her with crazed red eyes, and Rian opened her mouth to scream as she felt pressure explode inside her skull, swiftly followed by the feeling of his mind slamming against hers.

Vivicar shoved his way past her meagre defenses and clamped down hard on her brain, freezing her rigidly in place and trapping the scream in her throat. His presence slithered through her mind like sickly red smoke and she could feel him pausing to examine the memories he came across, completely unmoved by her feeble attempts to stop him.

 _You care deeply for your friends,_ he whispered inside her mind. _Your emotions are strong. I can use that._ Red energy swirled behind her eyes, rage building in her as she railed silently against Vivicar's intrusion. She hated him, hated the guards beside her, hated everything about this blasted ship and this mission she had been forced to undertake.

Above her, Vivicar laughed and withdrew his hands. "Let her go," he said, though she barely heard him over the way her heart was suddenly pounding in her ears. "She will do our work for us. I will be on the bridge. Report any progress to me."

Rian collapsed against the floor, the durasteel cold against her overheated skin. One of the guards lifted her bound hands, wrenching her shoulders painfully, and the pressure of the cuffs was suddenly gone. She screamed and threw herself at him, her hands locking around his throat before he could react. The speed of her attack surprised him, and she knocked him down and crouched over him as she tightened her hands. Through the red haze of rage she could see his eyes bulging as he scrabbled ineffectively at her fingers.

A sharp pain in her side stopped her, the second guard's boot connecting with her ribs and knocking her off the downed man. The two of them scrambled out of the cell and Rian threw herself after them. She could see the fear in their eyes but then the red barrier of the force field was between them. She screamed again, pounding her fists against it, heedless of the sizzle of energy against her skin. The two guards backed out of sight, looking shaken, and she turned to pace the tiny room, looking for any exit.

She was on her third circuit of the room, moving slowly and examining every inch of the walls and floor, when the force field blinked out suddenly. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, creeping carefully closer and risking a quick look around the corner. The corridor was empty, the other cells lining the hall empty and open, and a set of doors at the far end standing open to another hallway. The other end of the hall ended in a bulkhead a few feet behind her, and she slipped quickly out of the cell, setting her boots down carefully to avoid making noise. She didn't know why the Imps would have let her go. Maybe there had been a malfunction.

The hallway stayed empty as she made her way cautiously to the doors and peeked through. She could see doors to a lift to her right, and another open doorway to her left. She risked a glance through the door and saw some sort of control room, the walls covered with screens that were monitoring the row of cells.

Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a gun belt hanging off the back of the chair. She darted inside and grabbed the blaster out of the holster, checking it over quickly. It was an Imperial model but it wasn't so different from the ones she was familiar with. It had a full charge and appeared to be in good working order. She didn't know why the Imps would have left it behind, but she wasn't going to look a gift ronto in the mouth.

She was about to leave the room when she stopped suddenly and spun back to the bank of computers. All of the monitors were currently showing the cell blocks, but maybe she could find other interior cameras. She needed to track down the others.

It didn't take her long to figure out how to cycle through all of the interior cameras. She didn't see many Imps, but there was plenty of chaos on the screens. She flicked past views of smoke-filled rooms and corridors where the durasteel panels had been twisted away from the walls to lay in crumpled piles on the floor. A few unmoving bodies littered the halls, all wearing Imperial uniforms. She didn't know if they were unconscious or dead, though she hoped the latter.

She was about to give up when something caught her eye and she hastily clicked back to the camera monitoring the engine room. There was a flash of green, mostly hidden behind one of the consoles, but the unmistakable shape of _lekku_ made her realize it was Vette. They must be sabotaging the engines, or the tractor beam controls. Were they trying to run, and leave her behind?

Rian hastily snatched up her stolen blaster and ran for the lift, stealth forgotten in her haste. She smacked a hand against the call button and waited impatiently for the door to open. She raised her blaster quickly, but the car was empty. She thumbed the button for the engineering level and her stomach swooped with the speed of her descent.

There was a tumble of Imperial bodies in the hall outside the doors to the engineering section, scarred with blaster bolts and lightsaber burns, which would explain why she hadn't encountered any resistance from the Imps on her way down. She picked her way carefully through them, her stolen blaster up and ready. She couldn't hear anything over the thunder of her pulse in her ears and the steady thrum of the engines, and she didn't want to be taken by surprise.

She led with her blaster as she came around the corner, but the cavernous space was empty. She took the time to make sure, checking behind every console and piece of equipment, and spat out an angry curse. They must have known she was coming and cleared out before she had shown up. She resisted the urge to scream and kick the base of one of the stations. Breaking her foot wouldn't do her any good.

She picked a console tucked into a corner out of view of the doors and set her blaster in easy reach. She dug through the ship's systems as quickly as she could, finding evidence of tampering everywhere. The tractor beam controls were disabled, as she had suspected. Several of the door locks had been overridden, mostly the ones leading to the crew quarters. None of those Imps would be getting out unless they had explosives to blow the doors, and she assumed no one would be keeping any in their bedrooms.

Rian rocked back on her heels, thinking hard. They might be heading back to the _Fury_ , now that the tractor beam was disabled but knowing them they were more likely to be going after Vivicar. If they escaped but left him alive, there was a chance he would try to stop them. The engines and weapons were still operational, and she didn't know if the _Fury_ could outrun Vivicar's ship.

Decision made, she snatched up her stolen blaster again and headed back towards the lift. It was a risk to use it, but if she could make it to the bridge before the others, she would have time to find a good ambush point. They would never see her coming.


	18. Chapter 18

Rian got off the lift a few levels below the bridge and hunted around for a maintenance shaft. She was surprised she hadn't run across any Imps yet, but she supposed that they were busy trying to find or fight the other intruders on their ship. They were wreaking more havoc than she was, so she was probably a lower priority. She finally found a maintenance hatch inside what looked like an unused lab space, tucked behind a heavy bank of computers. She slipped inside and started to climb. Her whole body ached and her head was still throbbing, making the climb more difficult, but she didn't want to risk running into anyone before she was ready. Her light armour meant that getting into a straight-up firefight would be a bad idea. She would need to find cover to set up an ambush.

She was nearly to the top of the ladder when she heard the muffled sound of blaster fire above her. She hurried up the last few rungs and leaned close to the hatch to listen. There was definitely a fight going on, and she thought she could also hear the hum and crack of lightsabers beneath the heavy pulse of assault cannon discharge. She took a deep breath and opened the hatch as quietly as she could, peeking out through the gap.

She found herself looking down onto the bridge from a maintenance platform up near the ceiling, the perfect location for a sniper nest. The space was in fact already occupied by an Imp who was stretched out on his stomach, his eye pressed to the scope of a sniper rifle. He didn't seem to have heard her yet, and she took advantage of it with a quick rush and a hard blow to the back of his head with the butt of her pistol. She would have liked to shoot him, but didn't want to alert anyone to her presence just yet. She found a vibroknife on his belt and made sure he wasn't going to get back up again, then dragged the body aside and took his place.

There was good cover on the platform and she ducked behind a computer terminal tucked against the wall. Below her, a half-dozen Imperials were crouched in cover behind the various bridge stations, taking shots when they could. She could also see Vivicar, standing in front of the huge transparisteel window that took up the whole forward section. He was dramatically outlined against the curve of Malachor III and the black expanse of space behind him.

Near the main doors, almost directly below Rian's perch, she could see Kevrisa locked in combat with a male Kaleesh, most of his brown-skinned face hidden behind a bone mask. He was wearing grey durasteel armour and wielding a green-bladed lightsaber. As she watched, he whirled away from Kevrisa's gold sabers and struck out lightning-quick, making her leap backwards to avoid the attack. Vette was crouched behind a console nearby, taking potshots at the Kaleesh, though he was sweeping the blaster bolts aside with contemptuous ease.

Viggota and Jorgan were side by side in the doorway, the retort of their heavy cannons echoing across the bridge. It looked like they were trying to keep the Imperials pinned down so they couldn't focus on Kevrisa. Jorgan's shield was flickering but was holding for the moment. Lomning wasn't visible from her position, but she could hear the hum of a lightsaber beneath her perch and assumed it must be him.

From her vantage point, Rian had a good angle for surprising the combatants, since none of them seemed aware she was above them. The Kaleesh was starting to get the upper hand against Kevrisa, hammering her with powerful blows that she was struggling to block, and the Imperials were trying to spread out their forces to split Viggota and Jorgan's attention, presumably so they could help the Kaleesh against Kevrisa. Rian braced her shoulder against the console and carefully lined up her shot.

She pulled the trigger and Vette cried out and went down hard, a neat hole burned through her shoulder in the gap between two of the armour plates. Her blaster fell from nerveless fingers and she flung herself around to the other side of the console before Rian could get another shot off.

"Vette!" Kevrisa cried, smashing the Kaleesh's saber aside and driving him back with a series of powerful strikes. From across the bridge, Vivicar laughed triumphantly. Rian felt hot anger flare through her as Viggota and Jorgan both leaped forward, swinging their cannons up to try to find where the shot had come from. They would fight to save Vette, but not her? They had been supposed to come for her, but they had left her for Vivicar. They had betrayed her, just as surely as Skavak had when he had taken her ship. She needed to get rid of them. She could take the _Fury_ , head back to the Estaria system and the _Event Horizon_. She was better off alone. Trusting people was what had gotten her into this mess in the first place.

Without her earpiece, Rian couldn't hear what Viggota and Jorgan were saying, but based on their hand gestures they seemed to have figured out where she was hiding. She rattled of a quick series of shots that splattered harmlessly against Viggota's shield and snarled with frustration. She switched targets to try to burn out Jorgan's failing shield, but the Cathar ducked quickly out of sight through the doorway. Viggota split off from him, moving into cover under her perch. She could hear Lomning's voice below her, but couldn't make out his words. She gritted her teeth angrily. She had hoped the element of surprise would have given her more of an edge, but she had only managed to take out one of them, and they were aware of her now. This wasn't going to be easy, but she needed to get rid of these traitors.

Bereft of her other targets, she changed her focus to Kevrisa. The battle with the Kaleesh had taken the Sith behind one of the banks of computers, but she could catch glimpses of gold lightsabers as the Kaleesh backed Kevrisa slowly back into the open. Rian shifted positions slightly, lining up her shot and waiting impatiently for the Sith to come back into view.

She finally got a good shot at Kevrisa's unprotected back, but just as she squeezed the trigger she heard a shout and running footsteps. Jorgan threw himself into the path of the volley and his shield failed with a crack. The next shot caught him under the edge of his helmet, right above his chestplate and he collapsed, his assault cannon clattering across the deck.

With Jorgan down and out, Rian shifted her attention back to Kevrisa. The Sith spun away from the bolts like a dancer and used both of her sabers to catch the Kaleesh's downward strike. She leaned back and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying across the bridge. His head struck the wall and he slumped unmoving to the deck. Rian's next volley was easily deflected away by Kevrisa's lightsabers, and she ground her teeth in frustration. There was no way she would be able to take the Sith out with her small blaster without the distraction of a fight, and she couldn't see Viggota or Lomning from her position.

She risked leaning out over the edge of the platform to see if she could spot either of them but it was a mistake. Lomning had been waiting for her, and she felt something like an invisible hand grab her arm and pull. She tumbled from her perch with a yell, her blaster clattering away across the deck as she landed hard. She twisted to try to roll away from the Jedi's lightsaber when another shape loomed suddenly over her. Viggota's gauntleted fist caught her on the chin, and the world went black.

For the second time in a row, Rian woke with a splitting headache. Nausea curled through her gut and she rolled onto her side, swallowing to keep from being sick. She opened her eyes carefully, realizing she was lying on the bridge of Vivicar's ship with Viggota standing over her, a pistol in his hand. His faceplate was down and his posture was decidedly hostile.

"I'd like you to keep your hands where I can see them," he said, his voice mechanical and cold through his helmet speaker. "And stay where you are."

She had a moment of confusion before everything came back to her in a rush that made her dizzy. Vivicar's hands on her face and his voice in her mind, the anger that had her tracking her crew to the bridge, her finger on the trigger and her friends in her sights. She jerked around, ignoring the way Viggota lifted his pistol in response. She'd deserve it, if he shot her.

Vette was leaning against a console, Kevrisa crouched beside her as she examined the blaster burn on Vette's shoulder. The Sith looked up abruptly as if she had felt Rian's gaze. Rian couldn't meet Kevrisa's eyes and turned away guiltily. It was only then that she noticed Lomning kneeling beside Jorgan, who was still prone on the deck. The Jedi had both of his hands on the Cathar's chest, golden energy shining from his fingers organic and prosthetic fingers alike. There was blood all over Jorgan's armour and the floor, turning the durasteel red and slick and soaking into Lomning's robes.

Rian's stomach heaved and she couldn't swallow it back this time. She turned away and emptied her stomach, gasping and shaking. She had done that. She had hurt her crew, her _friends_. They had trusted her, and she had turned on them.

Viggota was beside her suddenly, his pistol, helmet, and gauntlets discarded next to him. He slid a broad, warm hand onto her back and she jerked away from the touch. "Guess you're back with us," he said, gently tugging her towards him. She shuddered and curled away from him again. "Lomning said you were, but I figured better safe than sorry."

"Don't," she gasped as he reached for her again. She dragged a shaking hand across her face, turning her head to keep from meeting his eyes. She looked down at her hands, which were shaking so badly she didn't think she could hold a blaster. Just as well. She had done more than enough damage today. "How can you even stand to be close to me right now?"

Viggota stood, hauling her unceremoniously up with him, and she bit back a curse as she tried to jerk her arm out of his grasp. Across the bridge, she could see Vivicar and the Kaleesh lying next to each other. They were both cuffed, so she assumed they were unconscious rather than dead. There were bodies in Imperial uniforms scattered around them, most bearing vicious lightsaber wounds. "Because full-fledged Jedi Masters couldn't stop Vivicar from turning them into his pawns," Viggota told her firmly. "Do you really think this was your fault?"

She did curse him then, low and vicious. "Let go of me."

He studied her seriously for a long moment, and Rian was surprised to realize there were tears running down her cheeks. "No," he finally replied, pulling her close and wrapping strong arms around her. It wasn't exactly comfortable to be pressed against the hard plates of his armour but he didn't let her go when she struggled weakly against him. She let out a strangled sob and he pressed a gentle kiss against the top of her head. "It's okay," he whispered, voice rough. "It wasn't your fault."

She curled her fingers tightly around the edges of his chestplate and hung on, trying not to fall apart. "Jorgan?" she whispered, not sure she wanted to know.

"Lomning's working on him," Viggota said evasively and she closed her eyes, tasting bile. She swallowed hard and pulled away again, and this time Viggota let her go reluctantly, though he curled his hands gently around her biceps to keep her close. "Look at me," he said firmly, and she steeled herself and lifted her gaze to his. She had expected pity, or condemnation, but there was only concern on his face. "Rian. Listen to me. It is _not_ your fault. If anything, it's ours. We should have gotten to you faster, but we didn't know that Vivicar would skip the interrogation and go straight for mind control." His face twisted in self-loathing and he broke her gaze. "I should have thought of it. You shouldn't have had to go through that."

Rian frowned. "What Vivicar did isn't your fault." Viggota pointedly raised an eyebrow at her and her frown deepened. "It's not the same."

"It is to me," he said simply, giving her a gentle shake. "It wasn't your fault, Rian. No one's blaming you."

She risked another glance at Kevrisa and Vette, but the two women were talking quietly and didn't look up. Lomning was still bent over Jorgan, the Jedi's normally blue skin looking slightly grey and a concerned frown on his face. He looked up and caught Rian's gaze and she eased out of Viggota's grasp and approached cautiously. "How is he?" she asked quietly. Someone had taken off Jorgan's helmet and there was a bloody handprint smeared across the visor.

"Not good," Lomning said, sounding worried. "I am losing him. He needs more help than I can give him." Rian swallowed hard. With all the blood, she couldn't see where it was coming from, but she knew her shot had caught him above the edge of his chestplate. She must not have hit the jugular vein or he would already be dead, but he had lost enough blood that she was worried she might have killed him anyways.

"This ship has a medical bay," Kevrisa said, standing and offering Vette a hand up. The Twi'lek grimaced as she jolted her injured arm and Kevrisa put a gentle hand on her back. "It should have a kolto tank, and a surgical suite."

"The kolto tank will have to do," Lomning said. "I am not a surgeon."

"There should be one on board," Vette said. "We never made it near the medbay, so all the medics are probably still alive."

"Wait," Rian said, confused. "We're staying? On an Imp ship?"

"I will take command," Kevrisa said, drawing herself up to her full impressive height. "I am a lord of the Sith. They will do as I say."

Rian looked around at the others, none of whom seemed the least bit surprised. They must have discussed it while she had been unconscious. "All right," she said with a shrug. "I'm not going to argue. But I feel like I've missed a bunch of important stuff. Once we get Jorgan taken care of, I'd like to get brought up to speed."

"Of course," Kevrisa said with a nod. "And we would also like to speak with you."

There was nothing sinister in Kevrisa's tone but a shiver ran up Rian's spine anyways. The others didn't seem to be bothered by her betrayal. Sure, she had been controlled, but she had expected some anger or suspicion. She rubbed her hands on her thighs and curled them into fists to hide the way they were shaking. She wasn't sure she trusted herself right now. She was sure she could still feel Vivicar in her mind, as insubstantial as smoke. Was it just her imagination? Or did he still have his claws in her, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?

Kevrisa had moved to one of the bridge consoles and called down to the medical bay. Her voice was imperious and commanding, and she easily overrode the medic's confused stammering and ordered a medical team to the bridge.

Vette was still glued to the Sith's side, holding her injured arm stiffly. "What about them?" she asked, jerking her chin towards Vivicar and the Kaleesh.

"They will also be taken to the medical bay for treatment, and placed under guard," Kevrisa replied. "At least until Lomning can confirm that they are no longer a threat."

Rian's breath stuttered in her throat and she swallowed convulsively. "Then you'd better do the same to me," she said. Her voice wasn't as steady as she would have liked, but she forced herself to meet Kevrisa's eyes squarely when the Sith turned to look at her.

"I hardly think that is necessary," she said dismissively, though her yellow-gold eyes were sharp. "Vivicar's control over you was broken when Lomning shielded him. He can no longer reach out to influence your actions and your emotions."

"Then why are they different?" she asked, pointing across the bridge.

"You were under his sway for less than an hour," Kevrisa pointed out. "His control was easily broken. Parkanas and Cin Tykan have spent years with Morrhage whispering in their minds and twisting them to his purposes. That sort of damage is not easy to recover from." Rian blinked in confusion, even as her stomach twisted uncomfortably. She recognized the name Parkanas from Master Yuon's ravings when she had collapsed, but she had no idea who he was, or what exactly Kevrisa was talking about. She had clearly missed something important.

The arrival of the medical team meant that Rian's questions would have to wait until later. There were a half dozen men, all Human, carrying satchels of equipment and bearing a repulsorlift stretcher between them. At the sight of their Imperial uniforms, Rian's fingers itched for her blasters, but she forced her hands to stay relaxed at her sides. It wasn't like she had a weapon at the moment anyways, and they were here to help.

The one in the lead, a stocky man with dark skin and hair, paused to survey the scene. His eyes landed on Kevrisa and he bowed. "My lord," he said. His accent was different from what Rian had expected - still recognizably Imperial, but rougher, the R's long and rolled. "How may we be of service?"

"I am Lord Kevrisa. I am the Emperor's Wrath." Rian hadn't seen Kevrisa act this imperious since their first meeting on Nar Shaddaa, and from the way the man stiffened at her title, she must be someone of some importance in the Empire. "These are my guests. You will give them the same courtesies you would extend to me." She held the man's gaze until he nodded, and then the gestured to Jorgan. "This man requires urgent medical attention, and then our other wounded need to be seen to as well."

"Of course, my lord," he said, with another bow, then turned to wave to his team. Rian supressed the urge to step between them and Jorgan as they approached, and from the way Viggota's shoulders twitched, it seemed he had the same instinct.

Rian was surprised when the medic bowed to Lomning, who nodded gravely in response. "I am Lomning, Doctor...?"

"Doctor Sallaros," the man interjected.

"Jorgan has a broken clavicle and damage to his exterior jugular vein," the Jedi said, his voice strained as he continued to pour energy into Jorgan's prone form. "I have stabilized the vein, but it may tear further without surgical intervention, and he has had significant blood loss."

"He will need a blood transfusion," the doctor said, eyeing the amount of blood on the deck around him. "Is it safe to move him, Master Lomning? Our surgical suite would be better equipped to treat him."

"Yes, as long as his neck is supported," Lomning replied. "And I must stay in contact with him, to prevent the damage from worsening."

The doctor nodded briskly and turned to motion the medics with the stretcher closer. They had to be careful on the deck plating, which was slick with blood, but they managed to wrap Jorgan's neck in a rigid collar and maneuver him onto the stretcher without dislodging Lomning's hands from his chest. Rian found herself holding her breath and exhaled slowly. Beside her, Viggota slid a supportive hand onto her lower back and she leaned into the touch.

Lomning stumbled slightly as the stretcher started to move, and Rian and Viggota both leapt forward to brace him. Rian curled her hand tightly around his elbow and he nodded his thanks. "You all right?" she asked him quietly, aware of the curious eyes of the medical team.

"I will be. I am simply stretched thin at the moment," he replied. His voice was calm but she could hear the strain in it.

"Come on, then," she said briskly to the medical team. "Let's get moving." She didn't want to risk Lomning collapsing. He was pushing himself too hard, healing Jorgan. Based on what Kevrisa had said, he was probably also shielding Vivicar and the Kaleesh. She assumed that was also taking a good deal of his energy.

"Vette, accompany them," Kevrisa said. "I will remain here."

Vette opened her mouth to argue, but Kevrisa shot her a quelling look. Rian assumed the Sith didn't want to show the Imperials any dissention between them, especially from someone that the Imps would consider a slave race. From what Rian knew of the Empire, these men would probably assume that Vette was Kevrisa's slave at worse, or her employee at best, and a Sith's orders would be obeyed without question.

"I'll stay here," Viggota said decisively, stepping away to let Vette take his place beside Lomning. "I'm not injured, and I'll be here to assist you, should you need it." Rian knew she wasn't the only one who had noticed the deference that Viggota was offering to Kevrisa, and there was approval in the Sith's nod. Viggota might play at being the big dumb soldier, but he had a sharp mind. He wouldn't want any of them to be alone on this ship, even though Kevrisa would probably be safe here among the Imperials.

He stopped beside Rian and casually handed over his blaster pistol and she hid her surprise. It made sense that he would want her armed, in case the Imps tried anything, but she still wasn't sure she trusted herself with a blaster. She carefully clipped it in place on her hip, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that her hands were still shaking. Viggota gave her a searching look and nodded encouragingly, then the stretcher was moving and Rian had to hurry to keep up. Lomning was walking with deliberate care, but she still wrapped her hand around his elbow for support.

There wasn't much conversation as the medics maneuvered Jorgan into the lift. Doctor Sallaros was tapping away at his datapad, presumably reading the data from the scanner he was holding over Jorgan's chest. Rian noticed the other medics looking at her and the other two Twi'leks but their expressions were more curious than hostile. She was still on edge by the time the lift doors opened again. She was painfully aware that they and Jorgan were decidedly non-Human, injured, and outnumbered. At least the medics weren't visibly armed, though she wouldn't be surprised to find blasters hidden in their satchels.

By the time they reached the medical bay, Rian was practically vibrating with tension. Lomning was leaning heavily on her support, his eyes glassy. Vette looked worried, but with her injured shoulder there wasn't much she could do to help.

The doors opened onto a sort of waiting room, with a computer terminal in one corner and neat rows of chairs set around the room. There were several closed doors and an open hallway, and Rian assumed they would lead to various treatment rooms. Rian could hear muffled voices from behind at least one of the doors.

"Master Jedi," Sallaros said, inclining his head respectfully. "Is your patient stable enough to be moved out of your care and into surgery?"

"I would like to accompany him," Lomning said. "I am worried the vein will not hold without my intervention."

The doctor nodded briskly and motioned to the rest of the team. "Bring the portable sterilizer, and a surgical gown," he said, and two of the men hastened off down the hallway and two of the others split off to go through a set of sliding doors beside the computer terminal. Rian caught a glimpse of a short hallway and another set of doors at the far end, these ones with "surgery" stamped across them. "My team will bring you and the patient into the surgical suite. I will meet you there."

He followed the two men through the door towards the surgery area, leaving Rian and the others with only a single medic for company. The man looked nervous and confused, and Rian didn't blame him. This whole day had been weird. She leaned closer to Lomning and lowered her voice. "You're okay going in there with them?"

"Yes," he replied. "I do not sense duplicity from Doctor Sallaros and his team. They are confused by Lord Kevrisa's request, but they are healers. They will not cause us harm."

"And you're okay?" she asked. She trusted Lomning's instincts, so she didn't push. "You look a little wobbly."

"I am shielding Parkanas and Cin Tykan in addition to trying to heal Jorgan," he said, shifting his hands slightly on the Cathar's chest. The bleeding seemed to have mostly stopped, though there was still blood everywhere, and Lomning's hands and the ends of his sleeves were red. "If I was not shielding them, I would have more strength to devote to the healing, but then Morrhage would still be in control of them, and you."

Rian swallowed at the reminder and nodded quickly. "Yeah, good choice. And I really want to hear what I missed while I was out," she said dryly. "I have no blasted idea who you're talking about."

Two of the medics returned just then with a bulky device on a repulsorlift cart between them. "Master Lomning," one of them said with a polite bow. "May we remove your robe? We can have it cleaned and returned to you."

"I've got it," Rian said quickly before Lomning could reply. She felt better for having something to do with her nervous energy. Lomning shifted to accommodate her as she carefully slid his heavy outer robes from his shoulders and off each hand as he lifted them one at a time from Jorgan's chest. The medics glanced curiously at his prosthetic but their gazes didn't linger. She supposed they would be used to seeing things like that.

She was surprised to see Flashy clipped to Lomning's hip opposite his lightsaber when she passed the bundle of fabric off to one of the medics. At his encouraging nod, she unclipped it and transferred it to her belt instead. Having the familiar grip under her fingers settled her further, even though she hoped she wouldn't have to use it.

Lomning offered his hands one at a time to the medics, who maneuvered each one into a slot in the machine. There was a hum, so high-pitched as to be almost inaudible, and when he withdrew his hands they were clean. The other Imperial unfolded a pristine white robe with ties in the back, and helped Lomning to put it on over his tunic, folding the sleeves up to leave his forearms bare.

Rian stood awkwardly by, chewing on her lip, and reached out to grasp one of Jorgan's gauntleted hands as the medics finished with Lomning and moved the machine aside. "You hang in there, you stubborn cat," she told him quietly, leaning in close so the Imperials wouldn't overhear. "If you pull through, I promise I'll even let you yell at me for making stupid decisions, okay?" There was no response, his hand laying limp in hers. She gave one last squeeze and stepped back, swallowing down the lump in her throat, and stood silently watching as the medics led him and Lomning away through the doors into the surgery suite. The doors hissed shut behind them with a noise that seemed very final, and Rian found herself clenching her hands into fists at her side.

A polite cough drew her attention to the single medic who had stayed behind, a middle-aged man with tan skin and a shaved head. "Ah... Ma'am?" he said, turning to Vette. "My name is Doctor Colsan. Your wound should be seen to. If you'll follow me?" He gestured to one of the doors nearby, and Vette looked over at it dubiously, and then back at Rian. "Your friend can of course accompany you," he added hastily.

"All right," Vette agreed, and Rian fell into step beside her as she followed the medic into the small room. There was a single bed, a computer terminal, and a pair of chairs. Rian settled into one of them, making sure Flashy was in easy reach, and Vette levered herself up onto the bed with a grunt. Rian hid a wince. She would have to apologize for shooting her, but she didn't want to do it in front of the medic. The Imps didn't need to know what Vivicar had done to her. It would be better for them to see a united front.

"Are you able to remove your armour?" Colsan asked, pulling on a pair of gloves. There was a tray attached to the wall beside the bed, covered with piles of gauze and medical tools. "If not, I can fetch a laser scalpel."

"No, I can manage," Vette said quickly. Rian saw her biting her lip to keep from making a sound, but she managed to wiggle out of her jacket. She hesitated, hand plucking at the front of her shirt. "This too?"

"It will make this easier," the medic said apologetically. "I can fetch you a robe, and leave the room while you change."

"Yeah, thanks," Vette said, sounding relieved. Colsan ducked out of the room, coming back a moment later with a pale blue gown similar to the one Lomning had been given, then disappeared again. Vette waited for the door to close behind him before sliding down off the bed. "I might need your help with this," she told Rian.

"You sure you're okay with me being here?" Rian asked, standing slowly.

"Yeah," Vette said. "I mean, I'd prefer Vris was here, of course, but she's got more important things to take care of right now, like being Sithy enough to make sure we don't all end up dead. But it's good to have a friend here." She held up a hand quickly when Rian opened her mouth. "You are. And not a word about what happened on the bridge, okay? We all know what really happened, and who to blame." Vette held her gaze until Rian nodded reluctantly and moved to help. What she had done still felt an awful lot like a betrayal, but if the others weren't going to blame her for her part in their injuries, she couldn't exactly argue with them. "Besides," Vette added flippantly as Rian helped to ease the shirt off her injured arm. "You had me dead to rights. If you'd really wanted me dead, you wouldn't have aimed for my shoulder." She tapped a finger against Rian's forehead, startling her. "I think you were fighting Vivicar, even if you didn't realize it."

Rian hadn't thought of it that way, but she supposed Vette had a point. No one had known she was there. Vette didn't wear a helmet, and a headshot would have been the sure way to take her out of the combat permanently. She had no doubt that Vivicar would have commanded her to kill the other Twi'lek, not simply wound her. And the shot that had hurt Jorgan... Well, that had been an accident. She'd been aiming at Kevrisa, not the Cathar.

It took a few minutes to get Vette out of her ruined shirt and into the medical gown, and she was shaking with pain by the time they were done, a sickly cast to her green skin. "Lay down before you fall down," Rian said bluntly, glad for the distraction from her own thoughts. "You've been shot. You don't have to pretend it doesn't hurt."

Vette stuck her tongue out but accepted Rian's help without complaint, climbing back up onto the bed and stretching out gingerly on her back. Rian tapped the controls to open the door and the medic stuck his head in. "You're all ready?" he asked, somewhat rhetorically as he was already stepping back into the room. "Good. Please, tell me if I hurt you. I'm going to start with a numbing agent," he explained, picking up an injector and pressing the device to her arm. He waited a few moments to let it work, and Vette slowly relaxed on the bed.

Colsan kept up a steady narration of his actions, his voice calm and soothing. Rian braced her shoulder against the wall nearby so she could keep a close eye on the medic, but he didn't do anything that gave her cause to doubt his intentions. By the time he sealed Vette's wound with a dermal regenerator and tucked the robe back into place, Rian had relaxed enough that her own aches and pains were starting to bleed through the adrenaline that had been keeping her going since the bridge.

"Do you need medical attention, ma'am?" Colsan asked her, tidying up his equipment.

Rian rolled her head on her neck to judge the severity of her headache. "Just some painkillers," she said. His eyes dropped pointedly to her jaw and she lifted her hand to gingerly touch the bruise from Viggota's gauntlet. "And an ice pack."

"I'm sure I can do better than that," he said disapprovingly. "Sit, please." He gestured towards one of the chairs and she settled down obediently, catching Vette's amused glance. Maybe Lomning had been right, and that these men were medics first, and Imperials second.

Colsan handed her a bottle of water and a small packet of pills that she recognized as a common painkiller, and let her swallow them before he slathered kolto gel across the curve of her jaw. The gel was cool and tingled slightly, but it helped with the pain almost immediately. "Thank you," she said, standing again. "I'll be fine. I just need to rest."

"I'm sure the captain will be able to provide quarters for you and your companions," he said, then faltered, nearly dropping the dermal regenerator. "Ah, that is, Lord Kevrisa." Rian hid a wince. She hadn't had a good look around the bridge, but she doubted the captain had made it through the fight. "My apologies," he murmured, turning and taking the tray with him as he left.

"Ugh," Vette muttered when the door closed behind him. "Am I really feeling sympathy for an Imp right now?"

Rian made a face, standing and stretching. "Yeah, me too." She turned to Vette, who was sitting up awkwardly, trying not to move her arm too much. "So what now?"

"Back to the bridge?" she suggested eagerly. "Or... Did you want to stay here?"

Rian hesitated, chewing on her lip briefly. She wanted to stay to make sure Lomning and Jorgan were all right, but she understood Vette's desire to get back to Kevrisa. "Not sure we should be wandering around alone," she pointed out. "I'll head back to the bridge with you and decide from there. I doubt there's anything useful I can do here anyways."

She helped Vette change out of the medical gown back into her shirt and armour, both of them making faces at the drying blood crusted on Vette's clothes. "I'm almost tempted to leave the gown on," Vette said, cringing as the cold, wet fabric slid against her arm. "But I'm not wandering around the ship dressed like that." Rian nodded in agreement, tossing the robe onto the table and gesturing for Vette to lead the way. She glanced at the door to the surgical suite but it was firmly closed. She had no idea how long Jorgan's surgery was likely to take, but there was no sense in her cooling her heels around here. Hopefully there was something else she could do to keep busy.


	19. Chapter 19

Kevrisa had things well in hand on the bridge, though she was very glad to see Vette. The Sith had met with the surviving members of the senior staff on board and appointed a very surprised Ensign as the acting captain until the ship could be brought back to an Imperial port. The woman had stammered for a moment but then squared her shoulders and saluted sharply. Rian hid a smile at the pleased look on Kevrisa's face. It looked like the Sith had a knack for picking competent people. Rian was glad to see that Jorgan's blood had already been cleaned up. She wasn't sure she'd have been okay seeing it again, especially since she didn't know yet if the Cathar was going to pull through.

Kevrisa had shooed Rian and Viggota off the bridge, and they had gone, bemused. "What now?" Rian asked, leaning against the wall in the lift. She was tired after the stress of the day, but she didn't dare let her guard down yet.

"Medical," Viggota said decisively, pressing the button with his thumb. He had his helmet under his arm, his armoured gauntlets tucked inside. "I want to make sure Lomning and Jorgan are all right."

Doctor Colsan was in the waiting room when they entered the medical bay, seated at the computer. He half rose from his chair until Viggota waved him back down. "Master Lomning and Jorgan are still in surgery," Colsan said, flicking his gaze over Viggota as if checking for injuries. "But you're welcome to wait."

"Thank you," Viggota said, dropping into one of the chairs along the far wall and setting his helmet beside him. Rian settled down on his other side and they sat in silence until Colsan seemed to get uncomfortable with their presence and headed down the hall to another room.

"Want to tell me what I missed?" Rian asked, bumping her arm against Viggota's. It was ineffective through his armour, but he shifted to press his shoulder against hers anyways.

"Well, obviously we got off the ship. Good distraction, by the way." He grinned over at her and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Soldiers aren't the only ones who know how to make things go boom," she said.

"Never said we had a monopoly on it," he replied with a laugh. "Vette sliced the internal scanners so we could hide our movements, and track theirs, and we made a beeline for the barracks. They hadn't sounded a general alert yet, so we managed to trap most of the off-duty crew in there, and then we headed for Engineering."

"Where you knocked out the tractor beam controls," Rian said with a nod. "Vette's handiwork again, I assume? It was well done."

"She works well under pressure," Viggota said. "We were in the middle of a firefight and she just put her head down and got it done. Then we went looking for you." Rian flinched hard enough that Viggota noticed it even through his armour, and he slid his hand onto her knee. "When we got there, the cells were empty and we assumed you had escaped. We should have kept looking."

Rian shook her head, swallowing a few times to keep her voice steady. "You had no way of knowing. You needed to get to the bridge."

He squeezed her leg sympathetically. "We figured you would meet us there, if you were free. And if you weren't, we'd take care of Vivicar and go looking again."

"What's the deal with him anyways?" Rian asked, not wanting to talk about her time under Vivicar's control. She knew she would have to eventually, but she wanted to wait until Lomning and Kevrisa were there. She was sure they would want to know about it too, and she didn't want to have to tell the story more than once.

"Well..." Viggota drew the word out, shifting to get more comfortable. His armoured bulk didn't fit well in the chair. "Lomning or Kevrisa could explain it better than I can, but from what I understand, the man calling himself Vivicar is actually a Jedi named Parkanas Tark." Rian's brows twitched up in surprise and Viggota nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty weird. Apparently the Jedi sent an expedition to the Malachor system years ago, before the war with the Empire. They awoke Morrhage's spirit, and had to run. But one of them got left behind."

"Parkanas," Rian said, nodding slowly. "And Morrhage got to him."

"Exactly. And through Parkanas, he was able to infect the other Jedi who had come to Malachor III with him, including Master Yuon, and Master Tykan."

"I assume that's the Kaleesh?" she asked, and Viggota nodded. "He was able to do all of that without even leaving the planet?"

"He's very strong," Viggota said. "But it still took him years to get to the point where he could influence them to do his bidding."

"How'd he get the ship?" Rian asked.

"Master Tykan brought it. Vivicar wanted to expand his influence out into the rest of the galaxy." Viggota saw her shiver, and nodded. "Yeah, we got here just in time. Another couple of hours and he might have been gone. I don't know how we would have tracked him down."

"So what did Lomning do?" Rian asked, firmly pushing that thought out of her mind. They hadn't been too late. Vivicar hadn't been unleashed upon the galaxy.

"While Kevrisa distracted him, Lomning completed the shielding ritual to block Morrhage out. He was furious, but without being able to ride along in Parkanas' head, his spirit got dragged back down into his tomb." Viggota grinned. "And Kevrisa is going to put an interdiction on the system so no one else stumbles across him. He should be stuck down there for a good long while."

"Good," she said fiercely, and Viggota's hand squeezed her leg again. She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. If Viggota was right, she was out of Morrhage's reach for good.

Viggota let the silence stretch out comfortably between them for a long moment, before asking quietly, "Want to talk about it?"

She shook her head immediately. "No. I'm sure Lomning will want me to, but I'm not telling that story more than once."

Viggota nodded, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the outside of her knee. "I'm here, if you need anything."

"Thanks," she said quietly, letting herself slump over against him. His armoured shoulder wasn't exactly comfortable, but she rested her head there anyways and tried to relax. The painkillers had kicked in and the throbbing ache at her temples had receded.

About an hour later, the door to the surgery hissed open and Lomning and Doctor Sallaros emerged, looking tired but pleased. Rian jumped to her feet, and Lomning smiled at her. "It went well," he said. "He is in a kolto tank to speed the healing."

"Two to three days," Doctor Sallaros interjected. "Any less, and he's in danger of tearing the vein again. Master Lomning told me Jorgan isn't the type to take it easy."

Viggota chuckled, standing to shake the doctor's hand. "He's right. Thank you, Doctor."

"Of course," the Sallaros replied, nodding to each of them. "Master Lomning, you and your people are of course welcome to stay with Jorgan. I will speak to Lord Kevrisa and whoever is in charge on the bridge to ensure that appropriate quarters are made available nearby."

"Thank you," Lomning said, bowing formally. The doctor seemed slightly taken aback, but he nodded politely and turned to go back into the surgical suite.

Alone with her friends, Rian slumped back into the chair, her knees weak with relief. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Lomning standing over her, with Viggota at his side. "He is fine," Lomning told her quietly. "He will recover fully, with no lingering damage."

"Thank you," she said, her voice shaky. She hastily blinked back tears. She wasn't going to cry now, not when they were still on an Imperial ship, not when she had an audience. "Can I see him?"

"The technicians are setting up the kolto tank," Lomning said, stepping back and offering her a hand up. "I will show you."

Lomning led her and Viggota to down the hall to a small, high-ceilinged room dominated by the large bulk of a kolto tank. Rian could smell the kolto as soon as the door opened, the scent nearly overpowering in the small space. Jorgan was already in the room, being lowered into the tank by a harness strapped diagonally across his chest to avoid putting pressure on his injury. He'd been stripped out of his armour and undersuit, and Rian made a mental note to make sure they got all of his gear back as quickly as possible.

The three technicians looked up as the door opened, but didn't stop in their work. One was seated at a computer terminal in one corner, controlling the hoist, while a second was up on a ladder, supporting Jorgan's head and guiding him into the tank. The third was checking the tank's readouts. They were all Human, and Rian wasn't sure she had seen a non-Human on board yet, other than Master Tykan. At least one of these Imps was female, or Rian would have started to suspect that the entire medical staff was male.

Jorgan was halfway into the tank, the clear, somewhat viscous liquid slicking down his fur so that she could see the outlines of the muscles clearly underneath. His fur was pale on his chest and stomach, darker on his legs. He still had blood caked into the fur of his shoulder, arm, and neck, though it was starting to dissolve in the kolto and swirl away in reddish eddies as he sank lower. The man on the ladder slipped a breathing apparatus over Jorgan's nose and mouth, checking the straps before giving the woman at the controls a thumbs up. She tapped at her console and Jorgan slipped all the way into the tank.

"Everything looks good here," the man at the monitor said with a satisfied nod. The man on the ladder climbed down, jumping from the second to last rung to the floor. He looked very young, but straightened his shoulders under Rian's scrutiny.

There was an awkward moment of silence as the Imperials shuffled into a knot near the controls, watching them warily. "Is everything in order?" Lomning finally asked politely. The three of them looked at each other and the man who had spoken before stepped forward.

"Yes, my lord," he said with a respectful bow. Rian saw Lomning twitch in surprise at being offered the same honorific as a Sith, but he didn't correct the man. "Would you like us to stay, to assist in monitoring his condition?"

"I am an experienced healer," Lomning said. "I can watch the readouts. But I would appreciate knowing you are on standby if there are any issues."

"Of course. The monitors feed to the duty station as well. Someone will always be on hand to assist." He looked around and nodded quickly. "We'll leave you alone, then. Please don't hesitate to call if you require anything." He gestured to a communications panel by the door, and Rian and the others stepped aside to let the Imperials out.

As soon as the door hissed shut behind them, Viggota chuckled quietly. "Not sure who's more freaked out by this situation - us, or them."

Rian snorted and walked over to the tank, pressing her palms against it and looking up at Jorgan. There was a neat line of stitches holding the blaster wound shut, dark against his surprisingly pale skin. "I wonder if he'll be angrier about being treated by Imperials, or about having his fur shaved off," she said, and Lomning and Viggota laughed behind her. She turned away reluctantly to face them. "Lomning, I need to know that I'm safe," she said bluntly. "None of you seem all that concerned by what I did, but I need to know that it won't happen again, that Vivicar isn't still in here somewhere." She pressed her fingertips to her temples, digging in just shy of the point of pain. "I need to know that I'm not going to hurt you again."

Lomning looked stricken as he hastened forward to take her hands, and Rian just barely stopped herself from flinching away. "I promise you," he said gravely. "There is no trace of Vivicar in you. His control is broken." He squeezed her fingers with his, warm skin and cool metal. "What you did was not your fault. You are not to blame for what he forced you to do."

"I could have fought harder," she said, her voice cracking. She looked down at her hands, and heard Viggota moving closer. His hand slid onto her back, rubbing soothingly. "I just let him do what he wanted."

"You did not," Lomning said quietly. "Vivicar - Morrhage - was a Sith Lord of immense power. He corrupted the minds of Jedi Masters from halfway across the galaxy. With you actually in his presence, there was nothing more you could have done. His actions are not your burden to bear." He pulled her in gently, wrapping her in a warm hug and she curled into him cautiously. Viggota's hand pressed tighter against her spine and she drew in a shuddering breath. "You need rest, Rian," Lomning said. "I will have a cot brought in here, and I would like you to sleep."

"I'm not sure I can," she admitted. She was pretty sure she would have nightmares about her finger on the trigger, about watching Jorgan collapse to the deck, about her friends' blood on her hands.

"I will help," Lomning said, pulling back and looking down at her steadily. "You need to sleep. It will help you to feel better."

"All right," she agreed reluctantly, and let Viggota draw her closer with an arm around her shoulder while Lomning disappeared to find one of the medics. He returned in short order, with a young man carrying a folded cot and an awkward bundle of blankets.

Viggota took charge at that point, bustling the man out of the room and setting up the cot himself. "Right, you sleep," he said, pointing Rian towards the bed. "Jedi, you should rest too. You look exhausted." He was right; Lomning had dark circles under his eyes, and his _lekku_ were drooping.

"I cannot sleep yet," Lomning said. "I must maintain the shielding around Parkanas and Master Tykan, and I should see if Kevrisa requires my aid with anything."

"She'll be fine without you for a bit," Viggota said firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "An hour, Lomning. Sit down. Meditate. Do whatever you need to do. But you need to _rest_."

"He's right," Rian pointed out. "You're not going to do yourself or anyone else any good if you burn yourself out. And if you're making me rest, I'm using my Captain card to order you to do the same."

Lomning sighed but nodded. "Very well. One hour. Rian, if you do not mind, I could meditate here."

She shook her head, sitting down on the edge of the cot. "I'd appreciate the company," she said honestly. She leaned down to unfasten her boots and kick them off. She shucked her armoured jacket and draped it over the back of the chair in the corner, then unbuckled her gun belt and hooked it over the computer terminal so it would be in easy reach. She still wasn't convinced she would be able to sleep, but it would be nice to lay down for a little while.

"I'll be right outside," Viggota said, scooping up his helmet and nodding to them before letting himself out into the hall. The door hissed shut behind him, and Rian stretched out gingerly on the cot, curling onto her side so she could see the kolto tank and pulling the blankets up.

Lomning keyed the lights down low so that the room was mostly lit by Jorgan's monitors and the soft glow from the kolto tank. "Relax, Rian," he said, moving quietly to stand next to her cot. "If you give me permission, I can make sure you sleep without dreams."

She let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, that would be good."

"We will talk, later," he said, kneeling and placing a gentle hand on her forehead. "This is a stopgap measure, not a true fix. But that can wait until we have more time."

"Thanks, Lomning," she said, closing her eyes as warmth flowed from his hand into her and through her. She let herself relax as she was dragged down into sleep.

Two days later, Rian was on the bridge of the _Fury_ with Vette, settled into the secondary console to Vette's left. Kevrisa's chair behind them was conspicuously empty, which was probably the reason for Vette's scowl. The Sith had chosen to stay behind to take Vivicar's ship and crew back to Imperial space, and to make sure Rian and her crew could leave unmolested. Vette had been adamantly against the plan, and Rian hadn't been too fond of it either. Not that Kevrisa couldn't take care of herself, and Rian was sure the crew would continue to treat her with the appropriate deference, but she still hated to leave anyone behind.

As she and Vette ran through the launch process, Rian could faintly hear the sound Lomning and Viggota's voices from where they were getting Jorgan settled in the medbay. The Cathar had finally gotten out of the kolto tank, and Lomning had wanted to get him onto the _Fury_ before he woke up. Rian agreed - having Jorgan wake up in an Imperial medbay would be a recipe for disaster. She'd have preferred to get him to the _Event Horizon_ but they were a full day's travel away still, so the _Fury_ would have to do.

Rian was starting to get antsy, surrounded by Imperials all day. The crew that she had seen had treated her with polite confusion for the most part, but she and Vette in particular had been the target of some pointed stares while they had been working on repairing the _Fury_. The hangar bay had always seemed more crowded when the two of them were in there. Rian had been careful to make sure that her blasters were always in reach, but thankfully nothing untoward had happened.

The heavy tread of boots on durasteel heralded Viggota's arrival. "Jorgan's settled," he said, nodding at Rian when she looked up. "Lomning will stay with him until we're in hyperspace."

"He awake yet?" Rian asked, turning her attention back to her console. When she hadn't been working on the _Fury_ , she had spent most of her time in Jorgan's room. She and Viggota had made sure he was never left alone, even taking turns sleeping on the cot next to the kolto tank. The medbay had been busy with soldiers, some of whom had blaster burns on shoulders and knees and had given Rian hard looks when she had passed them. She had been grateful for Viggota's looming presence. She could handle herself, but taking on a whole ship full of Imps wasn't high on her list of things to do. Lomning had spent most of his time with Parkanas and Cin Tykan in a secure holding room in the medical wing, both of whom the Jedi said were wracked with guilt over their actions while under Morrhage's sway. He stopped by Jorgan's room a couple of times a day to check on the Cathar's recovery, and he always seemed to know when Rian was getting ready to try to sleep. True to Lomning's word, she hadn't had a single nightmare since he had offered his help.

Viggota braced an elbow on the back of Rian's chair, leaning over her shoulder to check her screens. "Not yet. Lomning says it'll be another couple of hours." Rian nodded, relieved. She wanted him to wake up so that she could see for herself that he was all right. Not that she didn't trust Lomning, but it had been so hard to see Jorgan hanging motionless in the kolto tank, to say nothing of how it felt to remember watching him fall after she had shot him. She didn't know how he would react, when he woke up. Vette seemed to have unconditionally forgiven her, neatly sidestepping every awkward attempt Rian had made to talk to the other Twi'lek about what had happened on the bridge. She didn't know if Jorgan would be so forgiving, especially since he had been against her plan in the first place, and he had been the one who had suffered the most from her decision.

Her hand was trembling slightly as she pushed Viggota away when he reached for her console, but she didn't think he had noticed. "We've got this under control," she told him. "Go tell Lomning we're launching..." She trailed off and glanced over at Vette.

"Five minutes," the other Twi'lek said, sounding distracted. Rian heard the hum of the engines starting up, and the deck vibrated faintly under her boots. "And then come back. I want you on the guns, just in case."

Viggota nodded and left without a word, and Rian looked over at Vette again. "Do you really think that's necessary? Or are you just worried about Kevrisa?"

Vette's mouth twisted unhappily. "I'm sure she'll be fine," she said unconvincingly. Kevrisa had been the one to point out that they couldn't bring an Imperial battlecruiser into the Estaria system, and Rian had agreed. The _Fury_ was one thing, but a battlecruiser? The Republic would see it as halfway to a declaration of war. The Estaria system was firmly neutral, bowing to neither Republic nor Empire. Taking anything larger than the _Fury_ into the system would be an aggressive move that the Republic would be forced to counter, and Rian didn't want to have any responsibility in furthering that conflict.

"She's a Sith," Rian said. "No one's going to challenge her authority. And they love her already. She'll be fine." She had seen it personally, the few times she had seen Kevrisa over the last two days. The Sith had made some shrewd promotions to replace people that had been lost during the fight with Vivicar, and even Rian could see that she had made the right decisions. The mood on the ship had lightened measurably, even with the awkwardness of having Rian and her crew on board.

"It's only two days," Viggota added as he came back onto the bridge. "You'll be back before you know it."

Vette gave him a wan smile as he moved to one of the consoles along the back wall. "I know, but I still worry." She looked over at Rian pointedly. "I know you understand."

Rian nodded, thinking immediately of Jorgan. It was her fault that he had gotten hurt, in more ways than one. Not only had she been the one who had shot him, it had been her decisions that had put him in danger in the first place. It was hard sometimes, realizing that she had the lives of her crew in her hands like this. She had already managed to get Lomning injured, and now Jorgan. She hoped Corso and Xirra were doing all right. She hadn't heard anything from them since Corso had sent a message with their temporary address. She had gotten a short and cryptic note from Kyven a few hours later, saying Corso and Xirra had managed to find work helping with a droid problem and that it was going well so far.

Kevrisa herself was on the comm when Vette called for launch clearance. "It's not usual," she had admitted when she had met them in Jorgan's hospital room a few hours before to explain her plan. "Sith have underlings for these sorts of things. But nothing about this situation is normal. No one will question me." Vette had frowned, but Kevrisa had taken her hand and she had subsided unhappily.

" _Fury_ ," Kevrisa's voice was strong, and Vette sat up a little straighter in her seat. "You are cleared for launch. Please acknowledge."

"Acknowledged, my lord," Vette replied, her voice just as firm. "We are ready to launch on your command." Rian knew that Kevrisa was on the bridge and wouldn't be able to say anything personal, but just hearing her voice seemed to be helping Vette.

"At your leisure, _Fury_ ," Kevrisa said. "We will remain in contact. I look forward to your return."

Vette looked like she wanted to say something else, but the channel clicked off before she could reply. Her _lekku_ twitched anxiously, but her hands were steady as she spun the engines up. The _Fury_ lifted smoothly off the deck and slid gracefully through the magnetic shield and out into open space. Rian spared a long look at the Imperial ship as the _Fury_ came about, and then it disappeared behind them when Vette punched the ship into hyperspace.


	20. Chapter 20

The medical bay on the _Fury_ had a computer station, a kolto tank, and two beds. Lomning was seated on the one closest to the door, legs dangling, and he looked up when Rian paused in the doorway. Jorgan was still unconscious on the other bed, swaddled in blankets. The Imperial medics weren't used to dealing with non-Humans, and while they had washed the kolto out of Jorgan's fur after they had removed him from the tank, they didn't have a way to easily and quickly dry him off and they had wrapped him in blankets to keep him warm while his fur was still damp.

Rian flicked a gaze over the readouts above Jorgan's bed, but everything looked normal. "Viggota and Vette are on the bridge," she said, leaning her shoulder against the doorframe. "We're on schedule to reach Estaria tomorrow morning."

Lomning nodded, sliding down off the bed and crossing to the doorway. "I will go check on Parkanas and Master Tykan," he said. "They need my attention more than Aric does. Unless there are any problems, I leave him in your care." Rian opened her mouth to protest but Lomning held up a hand to stop her. "Rian. No one blames you for what happened. You were under the influence of a powerful Sith. I know you still feel guilt, and I understand why, but you must start to forgive yourself for something that was not your fault." He reached out and took her hand, pulling her gently into the room. "Also, you need to rest. Viggota told me that you only had a few hours of sleep last night."

"I'm fine," she protested, but he was right. The stress of the past few days was catching up to her, and she had pushed herself to make sure the _Fury_ would be ready to launch as soon as Jorgan could be moved.

"We have time now to rest. You should take it," Lomning said firmly. He nudged her towards the second bed, which had a pillow and a folded blanket at its head. A wave of warmth emanated from his touch, making her feel sleepy and content. "Rest. The monitors will alert you if there is a problem. And I don't want Aric to wake up alone."

"Not sure he'll be any happier to see me," Rian muttered, though she acknowledged that Lomning had a point. At least he wasn't still on the Imperial ship, but he probably wouldn't be thrilled to be waking up on the _Fury_ either.

"He will not blame you," Lomning said, starting to sound exasperated. "Now rest. I will check on you both in a few hours."

Lomning pointedly turned down the lights before he closed the door behind him, and Rian cautiously approached Jorgan's bed. He was still deeply asleep, his breathing steady and regular. The lines of pain around his eyes were gone and he looked more relaxed. She could see the scar over the edge of the blankets, pink and shiny. It was a messy circle the size of her thumbprint at the base of his neck, with the straighter lines of the surgical incisions bracketing it. The fur that had been shaved off around it was just barely starting to grow back, a faint dark shadow against his pale skin.

Rian reached out and gently stroked one hand over the curve of his head, smoothing his short, sleek fur back down where it was ruffled from the attempts to dry him off. He was warm against her palm and she let her hand linger a moment before she pulled away reluctantly to unfasten her boots and armoured jacket, leaving them and her gun belt on the chair by the computer. She kept Flashy with her as she hopped up onto the other bed and tucked it under the pillow before she unfolded the blanket, wiggling to get comfortable. She curled up on her side facing Jorgan's bed, the faint light from his monitors illuminating his sharp profile. She wasn't sure how long she laid there watching him before his steady breathing and the hum of the engines lulled her to sleep.

A sharp inhalation of breath woke her and her eyes snapped open, her hand finding Flashy's familiar grip under her pillow. She had a moment of disorientation before she remembered where she was. The _Fury_ 's medbay was still dark, but by the dim light of Jorgan's monitors she could see that the Cathar was awake.

She shifted slightly and he jerked his head around to face her, his eyes luminous in the dark. She pushed herself up slowly and Jorgan raked his gaze across her and let out a relieved breath. "Oh stars, you're okay," he said, his voice rough with disuse and his words slurred from the drugs.

Rian wasn't sure what to say to that, and she swung her legs around and slid off the bed. She had expected him to be angry, irritated, or confused, not relieved. "I'll... go and get Lomning," she said, feeling awkward and unsure. She shifted her weight from foot to foot as the cold from the durasteel deck seeped through her socks. "He'll want to know you're awake."

"No, wait." Jorgan shifted as if he had tried to reach out for her and then cursed quietly. "What's with all the blankets? Help me out here."

"You shouldn't move until Lomning checks you out," she said, turning quickly and reaching for her boots. As relieved as she was that Jorgan was finally awake and seemed to be okay, she was suddenly nervous and wanted to avoid the inevitable conversation. "I'll be back."

"Rian, wait," he said quickly as she pulled on her boots. "Please," he added, and she reluctantly turned back to face him. He had managed to free one arm and he reached up clumsily to touch the scar at the base of his neck, his fingers tracing the area where his fur had been shaved away. "What happened? Are you okay?"

She folded her arms across her chest, fingers gripping her elbows tightly. "I'm fine," she said, forcing her voice level. "I'm not the one who got shot, after all."

Jorgan growled irritably and pushed at the blankets until he could sit up. She had never seen him move so clumsily and she wondered if she would need to catch him before he fell off the bed. "Let me guess. You're blaming yourself for this, right?" he said, touching the scar again.

With the light from the monitors behind him now, she couldn't read his expression at all, though she was sure his sharp eyes could see hers just fine. "It was my finger on the trigger," she pointed out.

There was a moment of silence and she was about to turn away again when he spoke again. "How long was I out?"

"You were in kolto for two days," she said, looking down. The image of him hanging motionless in the tank was still hard to stomach.

"And Lomning hasn't managed to convince you that it wasn't your fault yet?" he asked, and her head came up sharply. "Guess not." He struggled with the blankets again, kicking his legs free and turning to sit sideways on the bed so he could face her properly. He rubbed a hand over his face as if he was trying to clear his thoughts, and she wondered how much of this he would even remember. "Okay, I'd prefer to be wearing pants for this conversation, but I'm not letting you out of my sight until you listen to me. So please come over here and sit down? I really don't want to have to follow you around the ship wrapped in a blanket."

"How can you _joke_ about this?" Rian snapped, her guilt boiling suddenly into anger. "You almost _died_. Do you understand that? I nearly killed you. You were in surgery for three hours to repair the damage I did. You were a finger's width away from me having to bring you back in a _box_ , knowing I was the one who had put you there." She clenched her jaw so tightly that it ached, and her pulse was thundering in her ears. She hadn't let herself think about it, throwing herself into the work on the _Fury_ and letting Lomning ensure dreamless sleep.

Jorgan was sitting so still she wasn't sure he was still breathing before he sighed heavily and rubbed a hand over his face. "I'm sorry," he said, so quietly she could barely hear him. "I didn't mean to make light of it. I should have known better." He looked over at her and hesitantly gestured to the other bed. "We should talk."

Rian's first instinct was to leave, but she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid him forever. Her standard coping methods for uncomfortable situations were either to get back on her ship and take off, or to bluff her way through until she was able to create a distraction and change the subject but neither would be very effective right now. She squared her shoulders and walked back across the room to hoist herself back up onto the bed facing Jorgan. He deserved better, after what she had done.

He seemed at a loss for how to start, his hands fumbling clumsily with the blankets that were pooled in his lap. "Look..." he started slowly. "I don't blame you, for this." He reached up and touched the scar. "I knew the risk, when I jumped in front of that shot. But it was worth it, to me."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused. "Why put yourself in danger to save a Sith?"

She saw a flash of teeth in the darkness, a crooked smile. "I know, right? But..." He chewed briefly on his lip. "Maybe she's not so bad."

Rian surprised herself with a chuckle. "Makes me wonder what I missed on Vivicar's ship," she said, and his smile shifted to a more genuine one.

"She hauled my ass out of danger a couple of times," he said quietly. "I might have made some stupid decisions, after we left you behind." He absently reached across the space between them and took her hand. Rian was surprised at the gesture. Despite their conversation about him missing contact, he still wasn't usually the one to initiate it. His palm was warm against hers, and her fingertips were resting on the pulse in his wrist, that tangible reminder that he was still alive. "Wasn't exactly what I meant, though. I knew you weren't yourself, and I didn't want you to have that on your conscience, shooting her in the back."

"You put yourself in danger for the sake of my conscience?" she asked, shaking her head. "It's not worth it, Aric."

"It is to me," he said, something honest and raw in his voice. "Rian..." He paused, looking down at their joined hands in surprise and she wondered just how out of it he still was. He'd only been awake for a few minutes, after all.

"Look, we can talk later," she said. "You should be resting."

"No..." he said slowly, and a shiver ran up her spine as he stroked his thumb lazily across the back of her hand. "No, I should explain."

She didn't know what explanation he thought he owed her but he was still obviously feeling the effects of the drugs. She didn't want him to say something he'd regret it later. "Aric, you just woke up. You don't need to explain anything to me. We can talk later."

"I promised you. On Coruscant." He absently turned her hand over and pressed his thumbs to her palm. "I told you I'd tell you what's going on with me. But I wasn't planning to tell you, because I didn't really imagine that it was something you'd be interested in. But it's just making things awkward now. You deserve to know." If the situation wasn't so surreal, Rian would be entertained by listening to the normally reserved Cathar ramble. He looked up at her suddenly, his eyes luminous in the dim light. "Rian... I'm interested in you. As a partner. As..." He said something in an unfamiliar language and grimaced. "Sorry, there isn't really a good translation for that." He hesitated, eyes going unfocused as he tried to figure out how to say it. "Someone I'd like to get to know better, to find out if we'd be compatible together. Someone I might want a relationship with."

Rian swallowed, looking down at her hand in his. That wasn't what she had expected at all. She had expected him to tell her he was going to leave, to go back to Garza and the army. He had been acting so strangely lately, frustrated and almost angry. Or overprotective, she realized. Overprotective of her, specifically, and frustrated when he thought she was putting herself in danger. "I don't know how to respond to that," she replied honestly. She didn't like the idea that he thought he needed to protect her. She thought she had been pretty clear about that back on Coruscant, after Master Yuon had attacked Lomning.

"It's okay," Jorgan said, releasing her hand somewhat reluctantly. "I honestly wasn't expecting you to reciprocate. I know you aren't looking for a relationship, and that's fine. Cathar... customs are pretty different from what you're probably used to and I don't want to make you uncomfortable. But I don't want to lose your friendship over this." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I don't exactly have many friends. But you deserved the truth."

She didn't know anything about Cathar customs, but it certainly didn't sound like he wanted anything like her default relationships - one-night stands mostly, or the occasional casual physical relationship that only lasted as long as the _Event Horizon_ was in port. "Thanks for telling me," she said finally, sliding down off the bed while Jorgan watched her silently. She could still feel the warmth of his hand against hers. "We can talk again when you're sober," she offered, reaching for the door controls. She didn't know what Jorgan would think of his admission once he was out from under the influence of the anaesthetic, and she needed some time to process it too. "I'll let Lomning know you're awake."

She stepped out into the common room and let the door hiss shut behind her. Just before it closed, she thought she heard Jorgan swear quietly.

Rian could hear Viggota calling her name, but she just tucked herself deeper into her hiding spot - the small space between the top of the starboard engine housing and the ceiling - and closed her eyes, confident that she couldn't be seen from the door. The durasteel was vibrating under her spine, warm enough to keep her comfortable, and the hum of the engine reminded her of home even if it wasn't quite the right pitch. She still didn't know what to make of Jorgan's admission. The Cathar was normally so reticent and kept things to himself. It was likely that he would be horribly embarrassed by it once he was sober enough to realize what he had said, so she figured that by making herself scarce for a bit he would have time to pull himself back together.

And there were her own feelings to consider too, now that she knew he was interested in her. She found him attractive; that wasn't the problem. She definitely wouldn't object to sleeping with him, but she didn't think that was what he wanted, or at least not just that. His phrasing had been odd. She wished for a moment that she had thought to grab her datapad. She was more curious than ever about the Cathar customs he had mentioned.

She trusted Jorgan, and liked him, but was that enough for a long-term relationship? And did she even want one? It had never interested her before. She never stayed in one place long enough to really get attached to anyone, and while she didn't have a rule against fraternizing with her crew, she hadn't exactly been in a position where it could have happened. When she had first joined the crew, her slave days had been too recent and raw for her to even contemplate it. After she had struck out on her own she had mostly worked solo, except for when Joro and Lia had been on board and the two of them had only had eyes for each other.

They had been happy together, she definitely remembered that. They still seemed to be, on the few occasions she was in contact with them. She had never begrudged them their happiness in each other, even if she had missed them when they had left. But she had never been jealous, or wished to be in their shoes. She hadn't wanted to have to make the decision between a relationship and the _Event Horizon_. She winced as she realized that. Joro and Lia had left because of the baby, not because of their relationship. How long had she subconsciously been equating finding love with losing her freedom?

She tucked her hands behind her head, staring unseeing up at the durasteel panels a few inches above her face. Perhaps the most telling thing was her reaction, she mused. When she had realized Corso had a crush on her, it hadn't affected her this much. She had shrugged it off with ease and had tried to let him down gently, but now her mind kept circling back to Jorgan's words and the possibilities they represented. Though she was really getting ahead of herself, she mused. The drugs had loosened his tongue. He probably hadn't ever meant to say anything about this to her, and she should just forget about it. And then there was his overprotective behaviour. She didn't want to be wrapped in synthsilk and hidden away safe and sound. She thought Jorgan had understood that after their conversation back on Coruscant, but if he wanted to try to protect her from everything in the galaxy, she didn't want any part of that relationship.

She hadn't gotten anywhere close to sorting through the tangle of her emotions when she heard the deliberate scuff on a foot on the decking and then Jorgan's voice. "Hey," he said quietly, and she could hear him moving into the room. He stopped directly under her hiding spot and she winced. She had forgotten how good his sense of smell was. "I didn't mean to freak you out," he continued, so quietly that she could barely hear him over the sound of the engine. She found herself holding her breath so she didn't miss a word. "Lomning's going to make some dinner, if you want to come out."

"In a bit," she told him evasively. She wasn't sure she was ready to face any of them right now. Lomning and Viggota had clearly realized that something was going on, given the pointed looks they had thrown at the two of them over the past few weeks.

"All right," he said quietly. "I'll go. I just... figured you should know." He cleared his throat, and let out a sigh. "I mean, about dinner... but also..." He trailed off awkwardly and she could hear him walking away. He usually moved so quietly that she knew he must have been deliberately making noise for her benefit.

"Wait," she said, squirming out of her hiding spot and sliding down to the floor with a thump. They needed to discuss this before things got more awkward. If he hadn't meant to say anything, she could work with that. She knew that drugs and alcohol made people say things they might mean to keep to themselves. It wouldn't be the first time she had agreed to forget something that she hadn't been meant to hear.

He looked up again, his expression guarded. He had smoothed his fur down properly and dressed in casual clothes and soft ship shoes. When he lifted his chin she could see the scar through the open collar of his shirt and she wondered if it would always make her stomach churn to see it. He caught the angle of her gaze and his fingers tugged at the fabric, pulling the collar higher to cover the mark. Rian ducked her head, guilt flooding through her again.

"Hey," he said quietly. His voice was gentle, almost sad, and he waited until she dragged her eyes up to meet his. "None of us blame you for this."

They should. She certainly did. "I know," she said.

"There's a big difference between knowing and understanding." Jorgan sighed quietly. "I wish you wouldn't blame yourself."

That was easier said than done. "I'll try not to?" she offered, and his mouth quirked in a crooked smile.

"It's a start, I guess." He shifted, leaning back against the wall and smoothing his collar again to make sure the scar was still hidden. "So. I guess I should apologize?"

This was more familiar footing. "Nothing to apologize for," she said easily. "I've known a lot of people who get chatty when their inhibitions are lowered. Just say the word and we can both forget you said anything at all."

He blinked at her in surprise, and then his brows drew down in a frown. "All right," he said slowly. "If that's what you want."

She had been ready to breeze through an agreement and then change the subject, but it sounded like he didn't want her to pretend to forget about what he had said. "I thought that's what you would want," she said, opting for honesty rather than flippancy. "You were on some pretty good drugs. I would understand if you feel uncomfortable about telling me things you obviously intended to keep to yourself."

He ducked his head and reached up to rub at the back of his neck. "Ah. Well, this would be a lot easier if you were Cathar," he said. "My people, we..." He hesitated, clearly trying to figure out the best way to phrase it. "Cathar relationships are different from what a lot of other cultures have," he finally said. "We don't... date people the way other cultures do. If two Cathar are interested in each other, they sit down and discuss their life goals and plans and why those things are important to them, what their values are, if they want kits or not, all of that sort of stuff. And if they find that they're compatible, and they're friends and like each other, then they discuss becoming mates. I've watched a lot of other species stumble through trying to figure out if someone they're interested in shares their interest, and wondered why none of them just sit down and talk it over." He gave her a crooked smile. "So, if you were Cathar, I'd actually have broached this topic a while ago and we'd have discussed it together and made a decision."

It was Rian's turn to blink in surprise. "How long...?" she asked hesitantly.

"After Taris," he told her. "After Skavak shot you and I almost had to watch you die in my arms. It made me realize how scared I was of losing you."

She pressed her shoulder blades hard against the engine casing to ground herself, feeling the vibration all the way down her spine. His words reminded her uncomfortably of how she had felt seeing him sprawled on the deck of Vivicar's ship, unconscious and covered in blood. "I didn't realize," she said quietly.

"Not your fault," he replied. "I tried to keep it to myself. Didn't succeed so well on Nar Shaddaa, I guess."

"I think Lomning and Viggota know," she told him. "I guess I'm just oblivious."

He chuckled quietly. "Yeah, they've both hassled me about it. But I didn't want to tell you, so I told them to back off."

"Why?" At his confused look she clarified, "Why didn't you want to tell me?"

"Because of this," he said, gesturing between them, indicating the tension that was almost thick enough to cut. "I didn't want things to change between us. And..." He trailed off and shook his head sharply, but didn't continue.

"So you were just going pine forever?" she asked skeptically.

He winced, and she had to wonder what it was that he didn't want to tell her. "You may have noticed I'm not exactly good at talking about stuff like this."

"So why now?" She absently fiddled with the hem of her jacket so she didn't have to meet his gaze.

"I didn't really mean to tell you," he admitted. "I was a little out of it when I woke up and I said too much. And then I didn't want to lie to you."

"I don't know what you want from me," she said. She was used to men and women being interested in her physically, and wasn't shy about taking them up on their offers if she shared their interest, but this was something else entirely. She'd never had, or wanted, anything more than that.

"Nothing has to change," he told her, voice rough. "You're my friend and I don't want to lose that. I don't want us to be awkwardly dancing around each other forever. We're both adults. We can be mature about this."

She took a deep breath and pushed away from the engine. Her thoughts were still a confused jumble and she wasn't sure that more talking was going to help her figure anything out right now. She needed more time to think. "Okay," she said briskly, shoving everything to the back of her mind to worry about later. "Let's go eat. You said nothing needed to change, so let's do that. At least until we get back to the _Event Horizon_. I just... I need more time to think about it."

He looked surprised and nodded slowly. "You're sure?" he asked, and she nodded. "You don't have to do that. I told you, I don't expect you to feel the same. You can just forget I said anything and we can go back to how things were."

"Let's concentrate on getting home first," she said with a crooked smile. "Anything more can wait."

He nodded again and turned away. "Thanks," he said quietly over his shoulder as she followed him back towards the common area.

The trip back to the Estaria system wasn't as uncomfortable as Rian had feared it would be. Vette was still upset about having to leave Kevrisa, Lomning was busy with Parkanas and Cin Tykan, and Jorgan and Rian were dancing awkwardly around each other while trying to pretend everything was still normal, but Viggota kept things from getting too weird. The big soldier was a steady, cheerful presence as he took charge of making sure that everyone was fed and rested by the time the _Fury_ dropped out of hyperspace.

Vette called ahead for landing clearance as Rian slipped into the secondary pilot's station on the bridge. Her fingers were itching for the familiar control yoke of the _Event Horizon_ , even though it had only been a few days. She hoped that getting back onto her ship would help settle her nerves.

"Everything okay?" Vette asked, bringing the _Fury_ neatly around to align it with the docking bay.

Rian dropped and locked the landing gear before glancing back over her shoulder. The bridge was empty, but she still lowered her voice before she replied. "Everything's weird," she told the other Twi'lek. "Apparently Jorgan's had feelings for me for months, and just told me now."

Vette laughed. "Vris and I danced around that for almost a year. If it's only a few months, you're doing all right in my books." She paused, looking over at Rian curiously. "Though I guess that depends if you feel the same?"

"I don't know," Rian admitted wearily. "I don't do relationships."

"Why not?" Vette asked, setting the ship down with barely a bump.

Rian glanced back towards the door quickly. "Because everyone leaves," she said quietly. "It's safer, to not get attached."

Vette snorted as she checked her console and stood to clap a hand on Rian's shoulder. "Hate to break it to you, but you've already failed pretty spectacularly at that with your crew."

Rian swatted half-heartedly at Vette's hand, but she had to admit that the other Twi'lek had a point. "I don't want to lose a friendship," she admitted. "I don't want to mess up something that's already a good thing."

"So you're going to just let your life stand still and not take a chance?" Vette asked. "Yeah, there's a risk, but Vris is one of the best things that's ever happened to me. I say go for it. You never know, right?"

"Thanks," Rian said, looking back down at her console as the engines finished cycling down. "I'll think about it."

Vette tightened her hand on Rian's shoulder. "You deserve to be happy, but on your own terms. If he makes you happy, go for it. If he doesn't, you can always move on." She paused until Rian looked up at her, and then flashed her a grin and a wink. "And you can always holo me with all the salacious details."

Rian laughed, standing and bumping her shoulder against Vette's. "You're a bad influence. But thank you. I appreciate the advice."

"You know I'd totally hit that!" Vette said, laughing. "I mean, if I wasn't already in a monogamous, committed relationship," she added, and ducked away from Rian's half-hearted swipe at her. Rian followed her off the bridge to find Viggota and Jorgan waiting in the common room with their bags at their feet.

Jorgan's gaze slid to her and hastily away again, and Rian saw Viggota roll his eyes. "Lomning's waiting on us," he said, hooking his thumbs in his belt. "He said he'd let you go first. You can comm him to let him know when to bring the others." Rian was glad that she wouldn't have to face Parkanas just yet. She wasn't sure she was ready for that. "You ready to go?"

Rian nodded firmly. She couldn't wait to be back on the _Event Horizon_. She turned to Vette, who ignored Rian's outstretched hand and pulled her into a tight hug. "Take care of yourself," she whispered in Twi'leki in Rian's ear. "And let yourself be happy, okay?"

Rian was surprised but wrapped her arms around Vette and squeezed back. She liked the other Twi'lek immensely, and hoped this wouldn't be the last time she saw her and Vris. "Fly safe," she replied, pulling back reluctantly. "Say thanks to Kevrisa for me."

Viggota scooped Vette up in an enthusiastic hug, spinning her around before setting her back down and steadying her while she giggled and clung to him. Jorgan offered her a more sedate but surprisingly friendly handshake, and then Rian slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way down the ramp and back towards her ship.


	21. Chapter 21

_End of the road! Thank you to everyone who read, commented, and gave kudos on this fic. There may be some one-shots to follow, if I have the inspiration, but for now this is the end. This is by far the most I have ever written about the same characters before. I hope everyone enjoyed them as much as I did!_

* * *

Viggota and Jorgan hung back as Rian climbed the ramp and keyed in her security code. She pressed her hand against the cold durasteel hull plates as the airlock disengaged and slid open and she took a slow deep breath as the faint ozone tang of recycled shipboard air washed over her. It wasn't as strong as usual, since the ship had been in port and Seetoo would have cycled fresh air through daily, but it was still familiar enough that it immediately made her feel like she was home. She stepped through the doorway and heard Seetoo's clanking footsteps on the lower ring.

"Welcome home, Master!" the droid cried as he caught sight of her. "I trust your mission went well?"

"Well enough," she told him with a smile. "Lomning will be bringing guests on board. He'll give you instructions. How was everything here?"

"Quiet," Seetoo said, and Rian relaxed. "Nothing out of the ordinary to report. I will ensure that a full briefing is provided to you within the hour."

"Thanks," she told him, hefting her bag higher on her shoulder. "We'll be launching as soon as everyone's on board."

"Understood. I will be in the engine room if you should require my services." He clanked off, and she heard boots on the ramp behind her.

"Get your gear stowed. I'll comm Lomning and call for launch clearance." Viggota nodded and headed down the stairs, carrying one of the heavy crates with Jorgan on his heels. Rian spared a moment to admire the muscles in Jorgan's back and shoulders before shaking her head in amusement at her distraction. Physical attraction definitely wasn't the problem. But he wanted more than just a one-night stand or casual sex, and she still wasn't sure she was comfortable with that. It was one thing to sleep with someone, to have a night of fun and to move on, but the idea of a relationship was so foreign to her that she didn't even have a frame of reference for it. What would it be like, to have someone around all the time? To let someone in to her life and share everything with them? And then there was the "Cathar customs" he kept mentioning. There hadn't been much on the holonet about it, so she was still pretty much in the dark.

She passed by her quarters to toss her bag on the bed to deal with later, then headed for the bridge. The lights were low, and she paused in the doorway as a feeling of contentment washed over her. She was home.

She settled into the pilot's chair and sent a quick message to Lomning before pinging the spaceport for launch clearance. While she was waiting for a response she started to cycle the engines up and flicked one monitor to the camera by the airlock, watching Viggota and Jorgan finish loading their gear on board.

She was almost finished with the start-up process when movement near the hangar doors caught her attention. Her breath stuttered in her throat as she caught sight of Vivicar - _Parkanas_ , she reminded herself fiercely - following Lomning into the hangar. Even the grainy image on the monitor was enough to make her hands shake and she clenched them into tight fists when she heard footsteps on the ramp. She had known he was on the _Fury_ , but she hadn't seen him. And besides, that was different from having him on her ship.

She startled badly when a hand reached past her and turned off the monitor. She hadn't even heard Viggota come up behind her, and she swallowed hard. "You all right?" he asked quietly, and she just shrugged. She wasn't, and she was sure he could tell. His big, warm hand curled around her shoulder, and she leaned into the touch.

"I'll be okay when he's off my ship," she said hoarsely, turning her attention back to the controls. She had received her launch clearance, and she sent back and acknowledgement. "I'm ready to get out of here."

Viggota squeezed her shoulder supportively. "I'll secure the airlock," he said as he turned away.

She let herself breathe for a moment longer before she reached for the controls again. The light beside the airlock sensor blinked green, and the engines were at peak power. She leaned over to flick on the intercom. "Prepare for launch," she called, glad that her voice came out steady.

She heard footsteps and turned to see Viggota in the doorway. "Want a co-pilot?" he asked. She nodded and waved him towards Corso's usual spot. It wasn't the same, but it was nice to have that chair filled.

The control yoke was familiar in her hands and she could feel the steady thrum of the engines in her bones. She leaned back in her chair and eased the _Event Horizon_ up off the pad as smoothly as she could. She kept the ascent steady and sedate, and Viggota threw a glance over his shoulder at her. "Well this is boring," he drawled, and she rolled her eyes until she caught the flash of teeth as he grinned at her.

"So sorry that my being a responsible adult isn't exciting enough for you," she said dryly. She was sure he was doing it on purpose, but she wasn't complaining. She needed a distraction right now.

"Being an adult doesn't mean you aren't allowed to have fun," he said with a wicked smirk. "Come on, Captain. Show me what you can do."

"You know I love a challenge," she said, checking her screens to make sure she had clear space around her. She spun the _Event Horizon_ into a tight corkscrew that strained the artificial gravity to its limits and made Viggota whoop with glee before they were free of the planet's gravity well and she straightened out to hit the hyperspace jump point.

It was five days back to Coruscant, and the mood on the _Event Horizon_ was much more relaxed than it had been on the trip out. Lomning spent most of his time closeted in his quarters with Parkanas and Cin Tykan, with the notable exception of an excruciatingly polite dressing-down from the Jedi Council over the holo. The consensus was that while they were generally pleased with the end result, they weren't thrilled with his methods, or the fact that he had involved Kevrisa, especially without consulting them first.

"You going to be okay?" Rian asked dubiously after the Council had closed the channel. Lomning slumped out of his precisely rigid posture with a sigh.

"Yes," he said, rolling his shoulders. "I don't believe I will face any additional discipline. Master Yuon has fully recovered, and the Council has been contacted by four other masters who had fallen under Vivicar's sway but have now been freed of his influence. Parkanas and the others will remain under supervision for some time, undergoing treatment and counselling, but I have returned these masters to the Order without costing any more lives. My methods may not gain the approval of the entire Council and may result in closer scrutiny in the future, but enough masters will speak in my defense that I am not worried."

He had retreated back to his quarters after that, leaving Rian shaking her head. "I hope that's the end of it."

"He's a good Jedi," Viggota said, sprawling across the couch and yawning. "They need him."

Jorgan was sitting backwards on one of the chairs in the kitchen area, his arms folded along the back. "And if not, he's still got a place here, right?"

"You all do," Rian said without even thinking about it until Jorgan gave her a pleased smile, and then she found herself unexpectedly blushing. She hadn't done that in ages.

"Good to know," Viggota said, rolling to his feet and stretching theatrically. "I'm going to catch some shut-eye. Wake me when you want me to take over on the bridge."

"You're not subtle," Rian muttered to him as he passed her. He grinned, unrepentant, and disappeared down the hall, whistling tunelessly to himself. Jorgan's ears twitched at the sound of Viggota's footsteps on the stairs. "I'm going to go sit on the bridge," she told Jorgan, pausing just long enough in the doorway to catch his eye. "If you wanted to join me," she added hesitantly.

He stood up so quickly that the legs of his chair scraped across the decking and he winced. "I feel like a tongue-tied kit around you," he grumbled to himself, and Rian ducked her head to hide her smile as he followed her onto the bridge. As unsure as she was about the whole situation, there was still something she liked about having this sort of an impact on him. He was usually so controlled. "I swear, I'm trying to act normally."

"It's not so easy," she said, flopping into the pilot's chair and checking the readouts. Everything was green across the board, nothing to distract her from the Cathar who settled into Lomning's usual seat to her left, close enough to touch if she wanted. And she did; she wanted to run her fingers across his fur and feel the warmth of his body against hers, and find out just how sharp his teeth were and what he tasted like. But was her attraction just physical, or did she want more than that?

"I can try harder. I just might need some time," he said, leaning back and stretching his legs out. Her eyes caught on the muscles of his thighs and she quickly looked up before he caught her staring. She noticed he had taken to wearing shirts with higher collars so she couldn't see the scar, though she could still see the patch where his fur was growing back in. She still felt a curl of guilt in her stomach at the sight of it, but it was less intense than it had been. "Feel free to tell me, if I'm making things uncomfortable," he added, apparently oblivious to her scrutiny.

She thought back to watching holos with him, back on Nar Shaddaa. It had felt comfortable, and _right_ , and she wanted to find that feeling again. She hated this awkward tension, hated having to tiptoe around questions that she didn't know how to ask.

She swivelled her chair towards him, hooking her heels on the edge of her seat and wrapping her arms around her knees. "Cards on the table time, okay?" She waited until he looked over at her to continue. "Pretend I'm a Cathar. I like the idea of an open and honest discussion. But I need to know more about what you're expecting from me. You keep alluding to your customs, but then shying away from giving me any details. What is it that you don't want to tell me?"

He winced, worrying at his bottom lip with his sharp teeth. The swirling blue lights of hyperspace flickered across his face and made his expression hard to read. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable," he temporized. "I don't want you to think I'm asking for anything you don't want to give."

She stretched out until she could reach the door controls and sealed the bridge. "There. No one else can hear us. Anything we say here, stays between us. But I can't give you an answer if you don't tell me what the question is. We can be adults about this, right?"

Jorgan sighed, turning his head to look out at the swirling lights outside the main viewport. "Cathar mate for life," he said quietly. "We don't do casual. If two Cathar make the decision to enter into a relationship, that's it for them. If one mate dies, the other never has another relationship." He bit his lip and looked down. "It's a lot to put on your shoulders. This isn't something I can just 'try out' to see if it works and then move on. That's why I never meant for you to find out."

Rian let out a long slow breath, feeling like she'd been punched in the gut. For life? Forever? No wonder he had been nervous about telling her.

"Hey," he said, sounding concerned as the silence stretched out. "Rian? Talk to me. Blast it, this is why I didn't want to say anything," he muttered, and she reached blindly for him when she heard him shift in his seat.

"Don't," she said, catching at his wrist when he went to stand up. "Stay. I just... Let me process this, okay?" Her voice was shaky and she swallowed hard. He sank slowly back down into his seat and she pulled her hand back to run her fingertips absently across her console. It calmed her, and she rubbed her thumb gently against the control yoke. "Aric, I can't promise you forever. I can't... I won't give this up." She wrapped one hand around the control yoke and looked out at the swirling lights of hyperspace.

"I'd never ask you to," he said quietly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him tip his head back and half-close his eyes. "When I first saw you here, on the bridge, it was like you were suddenly a completely different person. I hadn't realized that the version of you I had gotten to know on Coruscant wasn't really you. It was like you'd been a ghost and you suddenly came back to life when you got her back." Rian felt a chill run down her spine at how well he described how she had felt back then. Losing the _Event Horizon_ had been like losing part of her. "I'd never ask you to give that up," he added, voice low and serious. "That's who you are. I wouldn't ever ask you to try to become someone you're not."

"Then you need to stop trying to protect me from the galaxy," she told him. "If all of that is true, and you care for me like you say you do, I need you to let me live my own life."

He winced and for a moment she wished she could take the words back. "No, I deserved that," he said, shaking his head before she could say anything. "I've tried to be better, since you called me out about it on Coruscant. You were right, even if I couldn't see it at the time." He blew out a frustrated breath. "I'm not good with talking about things. I've been away from my people for so long that I've fallen out of the habit. But I'll try to be better about it. I don't want any misunderstandings about this."

Rian chewed on her lip. The idea of total honesty was scary, almost as scary as the thought of being with one person forever. She was used to hiding her emotions, using sarcasm and flirting to deflect attention away from anything too personal. "I'm not good at it either," she admitted, and he snorted.

"No kidding," he said, but he was smiling. "We're quite the pair, honestly." He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees and lacing his hands together. "So. I promise to try to stop being an overprotective asshole, and I promise to try to not get angry if I fail at that and you call me out on it. Fair?"

She chuckled. "Fair enough. And I'll try to not get angry if you slip up and do it anyways, and at least try not to yell at you when I point it out."

"I just... I worry about you," Jorgan said. "I know you can take care of yourself, that you've been doing it for years. But now you're in a completely different situation, surrounded by heavy armour and shields and a Jedi. It terrifies me, how vulnerable you are." She opened her mouth to protest but he held up a hand to stop her. "You can't tell me that you would normally be facing the kind of firepower we've seen over the past couple of weeks. When was the last time you went up against battle droids?" She shut her mouth and he nodded. "So I worry. But I will try to remember that you can handle yourself. I'm serious, Rian. I don't want you to feel like you have to change yourself because of me."

"So... what?" she asked. "You're going to change yourself for me instead? You're going to stay with a scoundrel and a smuggler? You'd give up your life for mine?" She didn't want him to leave, but she wanted him to be happy too. She couldn't believe that he would truly be happy to stay on as part of her crew, and didn't want him to put her above his own happiness.

"I'm not going back to the military," he said quietly, and she blinked in surprise. "I mean, I guess I would if I had to, if I didn't have a place here any longer, but... I like it here. I like the freedom we have, even if I've butted heads with you over some of our missions. I like being able to do good work without being constrained by the command structure, and a book full of rules." He leaned forward, hesitantly, and touched her elbow so lightly she could barely feel it. "Rian... I would stay, even if you said you're not interested in me. I value your friendship, and my place here. I don't want to jeopardize that. But I also don't want you to be uncomfortable around me."

She shifted and he drew his hand back hastily. She hesitated before reaching out for him again. She didn't want to give him the wrong impression, but she also didn't want to make him feel unwelcome. "Trust me," she said as his fingers curled around hers. "Interest is not the problem. You should know by now that I find you attractive." He ducked his head with a pleased smile and something in her stomach fluttered. She ruthlessly shoved it back down and licked her lips nervously. "But... forever? That's scary."

"Why?" he asked, absently stroking his thumb against the back of her hand. The fluttery feeling in her stomach intensified and she nearly pulled her hand away. She wasn't used to people treating her with tenderness. Most of her bed partners had been in it for the same reasons she had - to have a fun and enjoyable time, no strings attached. Even Darnath, who had thought he loved her, had been overwhelmed by her interest in him and had followed her lead in bed. She was surprised how much she liked the care Jorgan was showing towards her, and she was a little scared by how easily she thought she might be able to get used to it.

"Forever is a lie," she said, so distracted by her thoughts that the words slipped out before she could catch them. "Everyone always leaves."

"Your old crew?" he rumbled, too perceptive for his own good. His fingers tightened around hers, though his voice was hesitant. "Tell me?"

She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning her head back against her chair. "Joro and Lia. I picked Joro up on Hutta. I needed a slicer for a job and he came highly recommended from one of my contacts. Lia we found on Coruscant a month later. Mechanical genius. She's brilliant - can fix anything, build anything. Sort of like Xirra, actually." She shook her head with a quiet laugh. "The two of them fell in love pretty much as soon as they saw each other. It was cute. But within a year, Lia was pregnant, and they left. This sort of life isn't exactly family-friendly."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not ready to be a father now, and I don't know if I'll ever be. I'm not asking you for a family."

"Then what do you want?" she asked, open and raw.

"I want..." He hesitated, sharp teeth digging into his bottom lip briefly. "I'd like to get to know you better. Whether that leads to more or not."

"Aric," she said. "The truth. You promised."

He sighed quietly but he met her eyes squarely. "It is the truth. I can't know if I want more yet. I'm interested, yes. But I told you that Cathar talk everything through first. They're usually already close friends. I trust you, I like you, but I barely know anything about you." His eyes were luminous in the flickering light outside the windows. "I liked getting to watch holos with you, getting to talk to you. That's all I'm asking for."

"For now," she pointed out.

He shrugged, and she was surprised that he didn't seem at all upset. Maybe there was something to this idea of honest discussion after all. "Maybe we'll figure out that's all we'll want," he told her.

She could feel a tight knot of tension uncurling in her gut. He didn't seem like he was going to push her for anything she didn't want to give, though she was sure things would still be awkward with this hanging over them. "You made it sound like this was basically going to be a marriage proposal," she grumbled.

He surprised her by laughing and pulling her to her feet. He was standing very close, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of him, and her skin tingled when he stroked the pad of his thumb feather-light across the back of her knuckles. His entire focus was on her, sniper-intense. "Trust me," he rumbled, his voice low and warm. "If I was proposing?" He leaned close to her ear, close enough that she could feel the ticklish brush of his whiskers against her cheek, and whispered, "You would know."

Her nervousness flipped to arousal fast enough to leave her dizzy and she swayed unconsciously towards him but he had already taken a step back. "Not fair," she gasped, pressing the fingers of her free hand against the blush rising on her cheeks. "That's playing dirty."

He looked torn between embarrassment and desire, his eyes wide and dark. "Learned from the best," he said, his voice somewhat unsteady. His smile was hopeful and yet shyly uncertain, an expression she had never seen on him. She was glad to know she wasn't the only one who was nervous about this. He squeezed her hand and released it slowly. "I should go. We'll talk more later."

The airlock door hissed open when he tapped the controls and she sank back into her chair, her legs too shaky to hold her up. She was no stranger to lust, but the flutter in her stomach was new. She pressed one hand absently over her abdomen, the other still on the fading remnants of her blush, and closed her eyes. She didn't know what to do next. Physical attraction was definitely not a problem, but could she really promise him forever? She didn't want to hurt him by stringing him along, but she was surprised to find that her first instinct wasn't to turn down his offer either. The idea intrigued her, having someone there who wouldn't leave.

She leaned back in her chair with a sigh. Could she really imagine a future with Jorgan? Could she picture the two of them running cargo together for years to come, spending quiet mornings lazing around the ship, evenings curled together watching terrible action vids? Would she be all right with always having someone around? Never having the ship to herself?

The faint sound of voices drifted through the halls from somewhere deeper in the ship, the rumble of Jorgan's deep baritone and Lomning's lighter tenor, then Viggota's laugh cutting across both. Their voices twined around the steady hum of the engines, creating a harmony that Rian was rapidly learning she didn't want to live without. The _Event Horizon_ would probably always be her home, but having a crew around made it feel lived-in and alive in a way she hadn't realized she was missing.

She sat up and checked over the readouts to give her something to do with her hands. She could obviously picture a future where the ship was full of laughter and life. But... was she prepared to be in a relationship? That was the million-credit question. Jorgan hadn't come right out and said it, but mating for life certainly implied monogamy. Was that something she would be comfortable with?

She snorted with amusement when she realized just how long it had been since she had shared a bed with anyone. Aside from her evening with Darmas back on Coruscant when they had been tracking down Tavus, it had been well over a year. She may be an incorrigible flirt, but it clearly didn't bother her to stop there. Monogamy might not be the problem she had thought it might be. Assuming that Jorgan wasn't the jealous type, she thought with a frown. He had said he didn't want her to change, but she'd seen her fair share of men react with anger or violence if their partner so much as glanced at someone else. Would Jorgan react like that too? She looked over at the door, wondering if she should go after him to ask, but instead she filed it away. She didn't want to bombard him with questions. They would talk again soon enough.

And besides, the biggest question was still unanswered. Why _her_? He had hated her, when they had first started working together. He'd arrested her, assaulted her, insulted her. Sure, she'd given as good as she'd got, but they definitely hadn't been anywhere close to friends for months afterwards. When had grudging respect shifted to potential interest, and _why_?

She shook her head forcefully as if that would chase the thoughts away. First, she needed to focus on getting Parkanas off her ship and getting her crew back together. Everything else was secondary.

Rian wasn't usually happy to see Coruscant, but she definitely felt a sense of relief at the sight of the city-planet this time. Lomning had directed her to land at the main spaceport in the Senate District, where members of the Jedi Council would be meeting them to take Parkanas and Cin Tykan into their care. She would be glad to get them off her ship. Even knowing that Parkanas had been a victim as much as she had, she still wasn't comfortable having him on board.

As she radioed ahead for docking clearance, she mused that she had been so focused on the situation with Jorgan that she had barely thought about Parkanas for the whole trip. That made all the nervousness and confusion more than worth it, in her estimation. They hadn't spoken again, though they had settled back into a comfortable rhythm and Rian was pleased to notice that Jorgan was definitely more comfortable with initiating contact with her than he had been.

She heard light footsteps behind her and turned to wave Lomning onto the bridge. "Everything set?"

He nodded, sinking into his usual chair. He hadn't used it much lately, and she missed having him there. "Master Satele will meet us at the landing pad."

"Will you be going with her?" she asked. She suspected he would. She just hoped he wouldn't be gone long this time.

"Yes, to give my report, and ensure Parkanas and Master Tykan are comfortable with the transition. But I should be able to meet you within a few hours. A day at most."

Rian let out a relieved breath. "I'm glad to hear that," she told him honestly. "We missed you while you were gone."

"And I you," he said with a smile. He lifted his left hand so that his sleeve fell back to expose the prosthetic. "I will need to finalize the synthskin covering as well, but that should not take more than a few hours. The manufacturing process had already been started before we left, and it shouldn't take long to install."

"You won't be in trouble, will you?" she asked. He had assured them he would not be disciplined, but she worried anyways.

He chuckled quietly. "No. Set your mind at ease, Rian. Everything will be well."

"And if not, we'll break you out," she said with a grin, glad to see him laugh properly in response. He had seemed subdued during the trip, on the rare occasions she had seen him. She supposed that helping Parkanas to try to work through the guilt of what he had done would be hard. She still hadn't sorted through the trauma of her experiences either, though she was glad that she hadn't had any nightmares, even without Lomning's intervention. Knowing that Jorgan was all right and that none of her friends blamed her for what happened had definitely helped.

Lomning clasped her shoulder firmly before he left the bridge and she leaned back in her chair as she waited for her turn at the busy spaceport. She would need to refuel and resupply, but that could probably wait until after she picked up Corso and Xirra. She wondered if Lomning would be amenable to coming to meet them outside of the Senate District. She wanted to make sure Corso and Xirra were all right. She hadn't heard much from them, and while she trusted Kyven to keep an eye on them, she wanted to see for herself.

It was another ten minutes before she got clearance to land, but it wasn't long after that before she settled the _Event Horizon_ down on the pad. She cycled the engines down and headed for the airlock.

Jorgan caught up to her as she thumbed the controls to open the hatch and lower the ramp. "Hey," he said cautiously. "I thought you'd still be on the bridge." He flicked his gaze towards the stairs leading up to the main ring corridor. She could hear Lomning's voice, but she couldn't see him yet.

"Just say it," she told him, gritting her teeth.

"Didn't think you'd want to see Parkanas, is all," he said, slipping a tentative hand onto her shoulder as if unsure of his welcome.

"Vig told you about what happened when I saw him on the monitor," she said with a sigh, though she shifted to lean carefully into his touch. His hand tightened, and he nodded. She knew she could have stayed on the bridge while Lomning and the other Jedi disembarked, but she wasn't in the habit of letting fear rule her. "I know it wasn't him; he wasn't in control of his own actions, but... I still need to face him. I need to watch him walk off my ship, and know that he's gone." She realized her hands were balled into fists at her sides, and forced them to loosen.

"All right," Jorgan rumbled. "I've got your back."

"Me too," Viggota said, jogging up the stairs to join them. He put his hand on her other shoulder and she swallowed hard and leaned back against both of them.

"Thanks," she said, voice tight. The two soldiers were warm and solid at her back, and she appreciated their support. She wasn't sure she could have done this on her own.

There was a pause, and then Viggota spoke up. "So... What did I just agree to?"

Rian snorted and elbowed him in the ribs, but she was grateful to him for breaking the tension. She even heard Jorgan huff out a quiet laugh. She squared her shoulders, ducked out from under their hands, and strode down the ramp.

A cluster of Jedi were waiting near the hangar doors. Master Satele was the only one that Rian recognized, and the woman nodded in greeting. "Captain," she said gravely as she approached, leaving the other Jedi behind. "Thank you, for your help. You and your crew have gone above and beyond your duty to assist our order."

Rian wasn't quite sure what to say to that, especially since she had been expecting the Council to be angry about their role in helping Lomning. She settled for nodding, and clasped her hands together behind her back. She could hear footsteps from inside the ship, and took a careful deep breath as Lomning appeared at the top of the ramp.

Vivicar was behind him, and Rian's breath caught in her throat. _Parkanas_ , she reminded herself fiercely. _He is Parkanas, not Vivicar. He's not a danger to you._

Beside her, Jorgan crossed his arms over his chest so that his elbow brushed against her arm. Viggota was on her other side, his thumbs hooked casually into his belt. Parkanas' eyes - an ordinary brown now, rather than Vivicar's glowing red - flicked over the two soldiers and then landed on Rian and stayed there as he followed Lomning down the ramp. He was dressed casually, in tan pants and a matching shirt that probably belonged to Lomning, given how the clothes hung on his smaller frame, and he was walking with his head ducked down and his shoulders drawn in. It was a sharp contrast to the armoured Sith she had faced.

Rian was dimly aware of Lomning and Tykan flanking Parkanas as he stopped in front of her. Master Satele drew in a breath, but Parkanas spoke first. "I did you a great wrong," he said, his soft voice holding no trace of Vivicar's Imperial accent. Rian laced her fingers together so tightly that they hurt and held her ground. "I do not ask your forgiveness, because what I did to you was unforgivable. No apology can ever make up for what I forced you to do. But I apologize nonetheless. I wish there was more I could offer." He lifted a hand as if he was about to touch her and Rian jerked back, her pulse thundering in her ears.

"Parkanas," Lomning said warningly, and the man took a step back, shaking his head slowly as if to clear it. Rian sucked in a shuddering breath and then Jorgan's hand was on her back, warm and supportive.

Lomning got Parkanas moving again, though the man kept looking back at Rian, who clenched her jaw and watched him go. The Jedi surrounded him and Tykan, and then the group exited the hangar, with Lomning and Master Satele bringing up the rear.

The heavy doors clanged shut behind them and Rian finally let herself relax. Viggota and Jorgan crowded close, one on each side of her. "I'm okay," she said, though her voice was shaky.

"You didn't need to do that," Viggota said, one big hand resting between her shoulder blades.

"Yeah I did," she retorted, and Jorgan surprised her by pulling her in for a careful hug. She leaned into him, her hands slotting onto his hips, and pressed her forehead to his shoulder. "Thanks," she said quietly.

Viggota's hand slid up to gently squeeze her shoulder and then he pulled away. She heard his boots on the ramp, but Jorgan stayed put, one hand wrapped around her shoulders and the other resting gently on her lower back. "You okay?" he rumbled quietly after a long few moments, and she nodded against his shoulder. She was, or rather she would be, but his steady presence was comforting and she was loath to pull away.

The moment was broken when the hangar doors started to open again, the sound loud in the enclosed space. Rian spun around, her hands dropping to her blasters as Jorgan snapped to attention, stepping forward to stand at her shoulder. Lomning wouldn't be back so quickly, not unless something had gone wrong.

"Captain!" called a familiar voice, and a grin split her face as Corso stepped through the doors with Xirra beside him. The young man gave a joyous shout and ran forward to catch her up in an enthusiastic hug. She clung to him as he spun her around, and she was laughing as he set her back down.

"What are you doing here, Farm Boy?" she asked, looking up at him. His eyes were bright with excitement and he squeezed her shoulders firmly before letting go. She reached out to clasp hands with Xirra and draw her into a quick hug too. "It's good to see you both."

"You too, Captain," Xirra said. She was smiling and looked more relaxed than Rian could remember seeing her in weeks. Jorgan stepped up behind her, offering Corso a firm handshake and Xirra a somewhat tentative hug that she accepted with a surprised smile.

Rian heard boots on the ramp behind her and then Viggota was there too, grinning and slapping Corso's back so hard the kid stumbled forward a step. He swept Xirra up into a hug too, only a little more sedate than the one Corso had given Rian. "You kids have fun without us?" he asked, giving them an exaggerated wink. They both blushed, and Xirra giggled and ducked her head. Corso punched Viggota in the bicep, pretending to scowl, and the big soldier fended him off with a laugh.

"What are you doing here?" Rian asked again, catching Corso's arm to pull him around to face her. "Is everything all right with Kyven?"

"Yup, everything's just fine. Your pal is a real great guy," Corso said.

Rian reached up and grabbed his chin with one hand to force him look at her, torn between exasperation and laughter. "You aren't answering my question, Farm Boy. What are you doing _here_? As I recall, I deliberately _didn't_ leave you two in the Senate District."

"Coming to meet you!" he said, all false innocence. He widened his eyes but couldn't hold back his laughter, and Rian couldn't help but laugh with him. "All right, all right. Where's Lomning? It's a neat story; I don't want him to miss out."

"Meeting with the Council," Rian said, waving towards the ship. "Come on, we'll fill you in on what we were up to. You can keep on being mysterious for now."

They ended up in the common room, sprawled over the couches. Rian took a single step towards her regular chair at the table before Jorgan caught her around the waist and unceremoniously dumped her onto the larger couch between him and Viggota, so she shrugged and settled in. Corso lifted an eyebrow in question but she pretended not to see. She'd talk to him privately later. For now, she took the comfort that was offered, turning sideways to lean against Viggota with her legs draped over Jorgan's knees. Seeing Corso and Xirra again helped with the unsettled feeling that the meeting with Parkanas had given her, but so did this.

It took nearly an hour, with three people trying to tell the story amid interruptions and tangents and requests for clarification. Rian glossed over most of her time under Vivicar's control and thankfully no one called her out on it, though Jorgan wrapped a hand around her ankle and rubbed his thumb in slow circles that kept her grounded as she spoke. Neither of them mentioned anything about their conversation in the _Fury_ 's medbay or anything that had come after. She still wasn't quite sure where things stood between them, though it was obvious that Jorgan was getting more and more comfortable with touching her and she wasn't exactly objecting.

"Stars, Captain," Corso said, shaking his head. "Sounds like you coulda used Torchy after all. Wish I'd been there for you."

Rian didn't know how to tactfully respond to that and was glad when her holo chimed. She was glad Corso and Xirra hadn't come. She didn't think Xirra would have handled it well, being on the Imperial ship, and she was glad Corso had stayed to watch over her. She didn't even want to imagine how Corso would have reacted to Vivicar putting Rian under his sway. And selfishly, she was glad the two of them had been well out of her reach. If she'd shot Corso... She swallowed and pushed the thought aside as she flicked her holo on.

Lomning's image shimmered into view over the device. He was smiling, and Rian's shoulders loosened immediately. "Everything under control, Jedi?" she asked.

"It is," he replied. "I have an appointment with the healers tomorrow morning to complete the skinning of my prosthetic, but I find myself unexpectedly free this evening. I have taken the liberty of making dinner reservations, if you would care to join me."

"Better add two more seats," Rian said with a grin. "We've picked up a pair of ragtag hooligans."

Corso yelped indignantly but Xirra was giggling. "Indeed? Then it is fortuitous that I have already made reservations for six," Lomning said, smiling broadly. "I will see you shortly." He bowed and cut the connection and Rian pushed herself up off the couch.

"Go get cleaned up," she said to her crew. "I'll call us a taxi."

The restaurant that Lomning had chosen was bright and airy, on the roof of a four-story building a few blocks from where they had stayed while he was recovering. Rian was glad he had chosen a place in the Jedi Quarter rather than the Senate District. While she and her crew definitely stood out from the mostly brown-robed Jedi, at least it wasn't a place where they'd be turned away for not meeting some fancy dress code.

Lomning pulled both Xirra and Corso in for warm hugs as soon as they spilled out of the taxi, and then led the way up to the rooftop terrace. Their semicircular booth was large enough that no one had to crowd, but Rian wasn't surprised to find that they did anyways. She noted with some amusement that she was deftly maneuvered into the middle, tucked between Corso and Jorgan. Viggota was on Jorgan's other side, with Xirra and Lomning next to Corso.

Unobtrusive music and the trickle of water fountains mostly covered the ever-present hum of speeder traffic, and left them free to talk without being easily overheard. "So, Farm Boy," Rian said, turning to him expectantly. "What's this story you want to tell?"

To her surprise, it was Xirra who started, launching into an improbable tale about ambassador droids, malfunctioning machinery, and a dangerous trek through Coruscant's power generation subsystems. Rian was so engrossed in the story that until she caught Lomning and Viggota smirking at her she didn't realize that she was nestled against Jorgan's side, his arm curled around her. They'd been absently sharing bites from their plates as they listened to Corso and Xirra, who were too focused on each other and their story to have noticed. Rian felt her cheeks flush, but didn't bother to move. She was comfortable and content, and Jorgan didn't seem to be objecting either. She was surprised at how easy this felt, and found herself starting to wonder if this thing between them just might actually work out.

They lingered over dessert as the sky darkened overhead. Rian tipped her head back, searching for the stars. "You know," she said quietly during a lull in the conversation. "I think we deserve a vacation. A real one."

Excited chatter started to flow around her, Viggota enthusiastically suggesting a beach, Lomning offering forests and mountains. Jorgan's arm tightened around her and she felt the feather-light brush of his lips against her cheek. A shiver ran down her spine and she fumbled for his free hand to lace her fingers with his. Overhead, she caught the faint flicker of a single bright star whose light had managed to cut through Coruscant's atmosphere and smiled up at it before turning her attention back to her crew.


End file.
